Page 24 - Week 01 - Friday, 27 March 1992
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Madam Speaker, it would be an error for us to approve of these amendments as they stand at this point. I think this needs to be thought through a little more rather than dealt with on the floor of the chamber. Much thought went into developing the process in the first place. I would seek leave to adjourn the debate. Perhaps it might be better to have the amendments withdrawn or defeated on the floor in order that we can deal with it by way of negotiation. That seems to me to be the most sensible approach for those members who want to work.
MADAM SPEAKER: Is leave granted?
Mr Humphries: To do what?
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Berry seeks to move that the debate be adjourned. Is leave granted?
MR MOORE (10.51): I do not think he moved that. Madam Speaker, I think this could be clarified if I seek leave to withdraw the amendments that I proposed. I take the sense of what Mr Berry is saying. I had moved in an attempt to resolve the problem, but I am quite happy for further negotiations to take place and further deals to be done. I am quite happy to withdraw my amendments, with the leave of the Assembly.
MADAM SPEAKER: Is leave granted?
MR KAINE (Leader of the Opposition) (10.52): Madam Speaker, I seek leave to speak on this matter.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Moore has asked for these amendments to be withdrawn and I have asked - - -
MR KAINE: I have sought leave to speak on the matter.
MADAM SPEAKER: Yes, but I wanted to deal with Mr Moore's leave first.
MR KAINE: No, I want to discuss it before they are withdrawn; that is the point. Madam Speaker, this does not augur well for the future of this Assembly. On the very first day we enter into a debate about who is not going to sit on committees and who is. I protest at what is happening here. I agree with Mr Berry that Mr Stevenson has an obligation to work for the money that he is being paid. If he does not want to, he should resign from the Assembly and let somebody else who is willing to do the job take it on.
But that is not the point of this debate. I noticed that Mr Moore jumped in very smartly to fill two vacancies. He is one of 17 too. Under the standing orders, he has no greater entitlement and no less right to sit on committees than Mr Stevenson does.
Mr Moore: No, but I was prepared to work hard.
MR KAINE: Oh, yes; Mr Moore, as a single Independent member of this Assembly, already pretends to take the chairmanship of two committees. Now he wants to sit on two others. I think that it does not say very much about Mr Moore or Mr Stevenson, quite frankly. To simply withdraw this whole motion about committees - - -
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