Page 2815 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 14 August 1991
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MR BERRY (Minister for Health and Minister for Sport) (4.07): As with many of the things that Mr Stevenson raises in this place, that which is not said is often more important than that which is said. One thing I noted was the absence in Mr Stevenson's statement of any reference to third party advertising in election campaigns. I go back to the speech that Ms Follett gave on 21 March 1991, when she talked about the level of funding that is put into these sorts of campaigns. An amount of $5.7m was expended in the 1990 campaign by third parties. Thirty-five of those third parties spent $1,735,585 on broadcasting.
It really comes down to what we are talking about here. It is really about a couple of people seizing on the emotive issue of freedom of speech and ignoring a lot of the real issues that are concerned with this issue. It is right to say that it is a populist and perhaps silly move for Mr Stevenson to jump up and try this on in this Assembly, because it may well be meaningless. But what makes it more meaningless is the issues that have not been raised in his speech.
The most important thing that has not been raised is what has happened to the matter in the Federal Senate. It is a case of the Democrats holding the balance of power in that place and being able to take a populist line in relation to the issue. Of course, the Liberal Party has been very reluctant to do business on the matter as well, for the very same reason that Mr Stevenson is concerned. This is about disclosure as well. One must disclose whom one is being funded by. For example, would Mr Stevenson tell us whether the League of Rights has any role in his election campaigning? I bet he would not like to be forced to do that, and that is what the proposal embraces.
Mr Stevenson: I raise a point of order, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I would be only too happy to answer that question.
MADAM TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mrs Grassby): That is not a point of order, Mr Stevenson. Sit down, Mr Stevenson; it is not a point of order.
MR BERRY: The issue is about disclosure. That is one of the real issues. This Assembly ought also be concerned about the issue of disclosure. It ought not seize upon the emotional issue of freedom of speech, as some members have done. Of course, freedom of speech is a valuable human right, and it is not in question in relation to these bans. What these bans are really about is disclosure. That is why the Liberals are nervous. They are nervous about it because they do not want to disclose their political donations.
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