Page 701 - Week 03 - Thursday, 21 May 1992
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good. Because this is a small Assembly of only 17 members we should be doing things in a different way, in a less formal way; we should be getting our business done by some sort of consensus. What we have here is an adversarial thing.
Some members of the Assembly have made up their minds, without attempting even to justify it, that we are going to do business in a different way, and to hell with the rest. They have not justified it; they have not made it appealing in any way. To suggest that we do all of this on a Thursday morning, and if there is not enough time we can work through lunchtime - this at a time when the Government has virtually no business whatsoever on the agenda, but they are going to suggest that we work through lunchtime on Thursdays to meet their objective of dealing with all of this business on a Thursday - is absolutely ridiculous.
Quite frankly, I cannot understand why Mr Lamont and the members of the Government do not want the subject debated. Why do they move to push it through so quickly, and why did Mr Lamont move so quickly to conclude the debate so that none of us could have anything to say on the matter? It is typical of the Government. If the thing had been adjourned this morning, what would have happened today is that they would have run out of business before the day is over, and it is going to happen inevitably. So, they say, "Let us not adjourn this; let us kick the Opposition in the head; let us do it, no matter what they think about it, no matter whether they have an argument against it. We do not want to hear that. Let us push it through, and the Opposition can like it or lump it".
Mr Moore: It would be easier if you just read it.
MR KAINE: When I want to do a private debate with you I will take you out of here and do it; otherwise stay quiet. He was attempting to take over the debate, Madam Speaker, while Mr Humphries was on his feet, and now he is doing it to me. He had his say. He did not convince me and I do not think he convinced you either, quite frankly, if you would only admit it; but you give him credibility.
Madam Speaker, I believe that what is proposed here is wrong. It formalises something that does not need to be formalised. It is turning this place into a machine where hours of the day are divided up for specific purposes. Contrary to what Mr Lamont said, it will require people to be here even more than otherwise. Members have to be here on this side of the house during private members' business already. They have to be here during question time, if they are smart. They now have to be here on Thursday mornings.
Mr Berry: That will not hurt them, will it, surely?
MR KAINE: Well, we are here. I am just saying that Mr Lamont was making the point that this will allow people, if necessary, not to be here all of the time. It was his point, not mine. What I am saying is that he is dead wrong. What it is doing is placing an obligation on members that did not previously exist - to be here on Thursday mornings irrespective, because if they are not they are going to miss out on very important business.
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