Page 5251 - Week 16 - Thursday, 28 November 1991
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MRS NOLAN (3.09): Also very briefly, Mr Berry did broach the subject with me just prior to lunch. Unfortunately, it is going to cause me some considerable hardship because I have to be in Sydney on Tuesday. That was expressed to Mr Berry. It seems that other members do not give that terribly much consideration. It is for medical reasons, and I would have thought that perhaps we could have worked around it.
MR STEVENSON (3.10): One would wonder about the requirement for an extra three days. Perhaps, if 19 Bills had not been introduced this morning with the intention of ramming them through before Christmas, we would not have the problem.
Ms Maher: If you had not been using delaying tactics, Mr Stevenson.
MR STEVENSON: Carmel Maher talks about delaying tactics. What I have said is that that particular Bill is a vital Bill and that there were things that needed to be said. While people may not agree with what the Labor Party wants, it is just one of those things that they will have to put up with. So, as I said, one would wonder about the lack of consultation on this matter. Mr Kaine put it very well indeed. As usual - and as has happened many times in the past few weeks - we see again and again the Labor Party saying that it has this consultation - - -
Mr Berry: Did I talk to you?
MR STEVENSON: Yes, today, as Mr Kaine said. Either at the last minute or with little notice - and then not talking to everybody - these things are done, and it is expected that they will be accepted.
MR DUBY (3.11): Mr Speaker, the need for the house to give itself additional sitting days has been addressed as recently as one week ago when the party Whips met and discussed this very issue. On Friday afternoon there were discussions about the amount of legislation the Government was introducing. This is legislation which, in a lot of ways through no fault of the Government's, has been delayed. A lot of it is legislation which flows from the Alliance Government and which, because of the change of government in June of this year, has been inordinately delayed because of the very process of arranging to have legislation introduced into the Assembly. I think most members here accept the fact that our sitting program needs to be amended so that the Government can introduce its legislation program into the Assembly.
The other point that I think needs to be made is that, frankly, we are never, ever going to get a day that suits everybody.
Mr Kaine: We might, if we actually discussed it.
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