Page 4672 - Week 15 - Thursday, 21 November 1991
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Mr Berry: Would you be prepared to consider 11.30 am?
MR STEFANIAK: It was suggested to me that 11 o'clock would be fine, hence this particular motion.
Mr Berry: It is the first I have heard of it.
MR STEFANIAK: I thought you would have known; you are her deputy. I thought that was eminently sensible and, accordingly, this motion says 11.00 am, rather than 10.30 am. The second point is that I think it was always Mr Moore's intention, and the intention of the private members, that the private members' business take up the entire day without question time and other such matters. That is the reason behind paragraph (2).
Thirdly, I would just mention, Mr Speaker, that attempts were made by me and by other members to find some convenient date, effectively a day on which we could deal with private members' business for the full day. Apart from this date, which I appreciate is somewhat inconvenient for the Government, the greatest amount of time we could mutually agree on, I think, was about two hours on the Tuesday morning. The only really suitable day for the private members was 25 November.
I am grateful to Mr Berry, to whom I spoke yesterday, for not necessarily acceding but at least being gracious about that. I certainly trust that the day will be productive. Accordingly, I commend this motion to members.
MR BERRY (Deputy Chief Minister) (3.23): It seems to me that the opposition members are in a generous mood. I expected that the normal time of sitting would be adhered to, from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm or so.
Mr Collaery: You have a Cabinet meeting.
MR BERRY: No. If they are feeling in a generous mood, and they are prepared to demonstrate it in kind, I had a very important function programmed for 11 o'clock - the opening of the obstetrics ward at the hospital.
Mr Kaine: Invite us all and we will not start till 11.30 am.
MR BERRY: I would have thought that if you were in a generous mood you might have been prepared to consider 11.30 am. I am watching and wondering whether there are many nodding heads. I see that they are shaking rather than - - -
Dr Kinloch: No, do not assume that, Wayne.
MR BERRY: Well, can I get a few nods? I am not prepared to do a Geoff Kennett, you see. You cannot offer that sort of incentive. If there is no enthusiasm for it, I will not pursue the matter.
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