Page 5377 - Week 17 - Tuesday, 3 December 1991
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So, we may be talking about even five years of land proposals in this area. That is quite a period, Mr Wood, and, as I said, this is the final stage. The community has no more involvement in the matter once this process has been gone through. That is the issue that we are concerned about, and that is why we seek to take the defined land process off the books so that we can have another look at it and include the proposals that we now use for draft variations.
Debate (on motion by Mr Berry) adjourned.
Sitting suspended from 12.58 to 2.30 pm
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Ministerial Accountability
MR KAINE: I direct a question to Mr Berry, the Minister for Health. I would like to refresh Mr Berry's memory with a quote from the Hansard of 7 June 1990 from Mr Berry:
It is appropriate that the Opposition should be able to put questions to the Government to expose its failings and then, hopefully, prod it to better government. We know that is difficult, but we intend to pursue that line without pause, and I think the Government should have the good grace to allow us to question it closely.
Is that still his view, and does it relate to the present Opposition as well as the previous one?
MR BERRY: That was a very good question, Mr Speaker, because it gives me the chance to come up with a very good answer. The first thing I would like to touch on, of course, is the rights of the Opposition. It is true that the Opposition should be able to prod a government into better government by way of its questioning; but I have to say that this Opposition really does not need to do it, because they have a good Government. They really have not much to worry about in that respect.
In relation to the issue of questioning, sure, I think appropriate questioning is good, provided that it does not go across reasonable bounds. I think one example of where it has gone across reasonable bounds is the pressure that has been put on the Board of Health by way of the motion of this Assembly in relation to the provision of figures. I have circulated a letter from the Board of Health which sets out the chairman's view in relation to that, and I have indicated that I will be moving a motion to amend the motion that was passed by this Assembly, to reflect, I suppose, the request that has been put by the chairman of the Board of Health.
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