Page 5252 - Week 16 - Thursday, 28 November 1991
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MR DUBY: I agree with you entirely, Mr Kaine. Having seen Mr Stevenson's performance in this house yesterday, the Government would have known that it was going to require at least some additional sitting time, if not this week - and that has been arranged already - then at some other time, such as in December.
Nevertheless, I think the consultation has occurred. Our primary duty in the Assembly is that of legislators, and I, personally, am quite prepared to adjust my timetable to suit the meeting times of this Assembly as determined by the majority of its members. Sometimes that has been inconvenient for me. I think other members should adopt that attitude also. To carp at the Government and say that it is rushing legislation through, as Mr Stevenson does, is not to give a true reflection of the situation.
Finally, Mr Collaery has suggested that one of those days should be dedicated to private members' business. Whilst I have no difficulty whatsoever in having as many private members' business days allocated as the Assembly wishes, it should be remembered that it is not the Government's responsibility to allocate that time; it is up to the private members themselves. We have the power. As we all know, if nine of us can get together and call the Assembly for any day whatsoever, the Assembly shall so sit, and the Government has no say in it whatsoever.
It should be pointed out that these additional meeting days are primarily for the purpose of getting government business through. And, just between you, me and the wall post, and given the fact that it is an additional sitting week organised by the Government, I, personally, would like to see private members' business left out of it altogether, leaving us to devote ourselves to the legislative program.
MR STEFANIAK (3.14): I believe that Mr Berry is going to mention the fact that he told me that the Government would be unable to prioritise until the Cabinet had decided what legislation it deemed essential to be passed in these sittings. One thing I mentioned to Mr Berry is that, in thinking about days, we would tend to prefer the 17th, 18th and 19th. There is good reason for that. If the Government tells us that it has legislation which it thinks is absolutely essential, we may actually agree that it is fairly important and that perhaps we should have a couple of extra days to deal with it.
But the Assembly has to give proper consideration to that proposition. We have to look at the legislation and have some consultation with relevant parts of the community in relation to it. All that takes time. You cannot do that properly in two or three days. You might need two or three weeks. In fairness to the proper consideration of legislation, it is important that there be that time.
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