Page 4145 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 23 October 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
that you put yourself up on the crossbenches. That was your assertion, not mine. You sit yourselves on the crossbenches and then you say: "But when it comes to resources allocation, we want to be part of the Opposition". You cannot have it both ways. If you want to be part of the Opposition and if you want me to represent you in that capacity, all you have to do is say so. But do not sit down there on the crossbenches, deliberately put yourselves there, and then say: "We want some of the resources of the Leader of the Opposition".
I just come back to the point, Mr Speaker: I think it is tragic that this matter that has nothing to do with the legislative process of this Assembly, which contributes nothing to the way this place works or will work and contributes nothing to the good name of the members of this Assembly, has taken up so much private members' time at the expense of important business. It could have been, and it should have been, dealt with elsewhere.
If Mr Collaery was really serious about allocating the money, why did he not give me a copy of that before this debate this morning? I did not know that it existed until I saw Mr Berry with a copy and I saw Mr Jensen with a copy. Mr Jensen talks about my not taking up the cudgels for them. He never presented that piece of paper to me as Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Jensen: It would be a waste of time, Trevor, and you know it.
MR KAINE: Well, it is a waste of time doing it the way you have done it, because you have not got my support. If you want my support, come and talk to me, Mr Jensen. Do not try to kick me in the head on the floor of the house, because you will not win that way. I repeat that you have added nothing, absolutely nothing, to the good name of this Assembly by wasting this amount of time on this issue which is essentially a case of: "I have not got it and you cannot have it either". That is what this debate is about. Let us be clear about that.
Mr Jensen: Do some representation.
MR KAINE: There are ways of resolving that issue if you had wanted to resolve it. I submit that you probably did not want to resolve it. What you wanted was a debate on the floor of the house so that you could say your piece about resources allocation. Well, there are other ways of doing that and I offer you an invitation now. If you want me to act as Leader of the Opposition on your behalf, come and knock on my door. You have done it over the last 17 months. Why will you not do it now?
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .