Page 1084 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 23 June 1992
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Mr Kaine: But we tell the community what they are before the election.
MR BERRY: They repeatedly interject when speakers from the Labor Party get up. They are very rude, but that is something we have grown to expect from them and nothing changes much from day to day. On the policies question, they are an established party; they were elected on a group of policies and one can expect that they will deal with matters in government in a different way from, say, Mr Stevenson.
Mr Stevenson was elected with a policy to abolish self-government and now finds himself without any more policies, except the sinister ones which we hear about from time to time. He now has to develop policies by way of the Dennis poll. I respect his wish to do it that way; that is what he is entitled to do as a member. But he expects the Government to govern by Dennis poll. Well, I am afraid that waiting 60 days for a Dennis poll to be concluded is not the way a government governs. Whilst it might be an interesting way of making contact with the community - good on you - it is not the way to govern and to put forward responsible legislation.
The Labor Party, on the other hand, has a range of policies. We know exactly what we were elected to do and the people who elected us know what we are about to do. In fact our policies are well developed and well known, and the processes and the courses that we will follow are entirely predictable. In relation to our other Independent members, they were elected with policies. They made clear what their policies were before they were elected, and what they will do in relation to any legislation is fairly predictable.
For Mr Stevenson to argue that there is a matter of public importance before this place because he has no policies and has to pursue a different course from the other parties, I think, is somewhat of a joke. The parties and Independents make a choice about how they deal with business in this house. Those who wish to be elected by way of parties share resources in the Assembly and deal with matters in the Assembly as individuals. The Liberals divide themselves up to deal with different policy areas. The Labor Party, in minority government, is divided between the Executive and its backbench members, and they all participate in the committee system.
Mr Stevenson does not participate in the committee system. I suggest that you would have more time, given your resources, to do work in this Assembly than many others, and I do not know why you are complaining. I would suggest, with the greatest respect, that you would have more time to deal with matters in this Assembly than many other members. I think it is a point of some embarrassment to you that you should raise an issue of public importance about considering matters in this Assembly when you have refused to participate in the ordinary workings of this Assembly. I think I would be embarrassed, anyway.
Mr Humphries: It is hard to believe that you would be embarrassed about anything.
MR BERRY: Now we come to the debate. I think the Liberals have a bit of a credibility problem here because we hear them grizzling about the Labor Party bringing on lots of legislation - quality, socially-just legislation, much of it. Some of it is machinery legislation. But the Government is getting on with the job. It was not long ago, and you cannot have it both ways, that the Liberals were squealing that there was not enough business; they were not busy enough.
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