Page 4126 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 23 October 1991
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Mr Collaery has indicated that he is willing to have the debate on this matter adjourned to a later date so that, in consultation with all members of the Assembly, he may be able to find a more acceptable and politic formula for the problem that has hounded the Assembly for some time. Accordingly, I do not wish today to comment any further on the legislation. Perhaps we will hear comments from some other members of the Assembly prior to adjournment of this matter.
MR BERRY (Minister for Health and Minister for Sport) (11.05): This amendment to the Legislative Assembly (Members' Staff) Act has been proposed in the wake of the fall of the Alliance Government. I suspect that there is some spite in the amendment because it is very clearly aimed at the Leader of the Opposition, it seems to me, on personality grounds, and his staff. There is one important feature we have to address right now in relation to this matter. This Assembly has about three months to go, and this legislation can be seen to be coming up now for only one of two very negative reasons on the part of the Residents Rally: One, it is to lay the boot into the staff of the Leader of the Opposition; two, it is merely grandstanding.
Mr Jensen: It is equality, Wayne. That is what it is called.
MR BERRY: I hear Mr Jensen cry out about equality. It is amazing that their concerns about equality were not expressed before the Alliance Government fell apart. Suddenly they are crying out for equality. If you are fair dinkum, Mr Jensen, you would have looked at the situation of equality prior to the falling apart of the Alliance Government. You know, and your party knows, that things were not based on an equal footing in those times. You had nothing to say about the Leader of the Opposition when you were in the Alliance Government, nor were you concerned about the inequality of the salaries provided to other members. So, let us stop kidding ourselves.
With three months to go, the Residents Rally members have tried to buy off members of this Assembly with a handsome looking salary package for members' staff. It looks pretty handsome, but when you work it out it boils down to a net $1,183 buy-off for three months of the Assembly. Nobody is going to disgrace himself or herself by clawing hold of $1,000 in the final moments of this term of the Assembly.
In my view, satisfactory provisions are already made for Assembly members. For example, ordinary members of the Assembly have a salary cap of $42,265. Leaders of parties receive a salary package for staff of $49,505. That is a recognition that leaders of parties and single Independents have a responsibility to provide an independent office and
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