Page 2120 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 9 September 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
establishing an ACT electoral commission. I have informed members that that will be done by the end of this year. That commission's first task will be to establish electoral boundaries. Madam Speaker, the substantive electoral legislation will be introduced into the Assembly next year. As I have said, this will ensure a period of over a year for Mr Humphries to come to grips with the legislation and the electoral system.
I take this opportunity to remind members that matters as complex as this simply are not achieved overnight. Mr Humphries made a reference to fast-tracking of the matter. I want to assure members that it is not being fast-tracked. It is a matter which requires detailed and very thoughtful consideration and some very painstaking work. I do not think it is a matter that lends itself to fast-tracking at all. Nor do I believe that it is a matter where we need to have a sense of panic. As I have constantly said, Madam Speaker, the next election is due in February of 1995. It is reasonable to leave over a year clear for the community to come to terms with the new legislation. That is certainly the timetable that I am working to.
I do not believe that the establishment of the ACT electoral system is an appropriate matter for political point scoring regarding either the project itself or the vote counting system that will be brought in. The exercise is about establishing detailed legislation which deals with numerous machinery and technical matters that will have to serve the ACT community long after Mr Humphries has left this Assembly. Madam Speaker, I believe that the timetable I have outlined and the progress that has been achieved to date will ensure that we get this legislation in good time and in good order. I trust that all members of the Assembly will be far more concerned with getting the legislation right than about scoring silly points on it.
MR CORNWELL (3.28): It is interesting that the Chief Minister, in responding to Mr Humphries on what I regard as a very important matter, did not take her full time. It almost suggests that the Chief Minister is not terribly keen to debate this matter today. I shall refer to what I believe is the real reason for that very shortly. The lack of action by this Government in this matter can be seen if we look at the history of it. The fact is that in the referendum they got well and truly done. The single-member electorate result was 34.7 per cent; Hare-Clark was 65.3 per cent. That was in spite of having the machine man and number cruncher Senator Bob McMullan looking after the referendum as their campaign manager. I believe that this simply indicated that the majority of people of this Territory believe that the Hare-Clark system is what they require and - - -
Mr Connolly: And will get.
MR CORNWELL: Thank you, Mr Connolly. I acknowledge the interjection that they will get the Hare-Clark system. Let me now ask you another question. Will they get the Hare-Clark system with the Robson rotation? Would you care to interject on that point?
Mr Connolly: The Chief Minister has said that the referendum result will be implemented.
MR CORNWELL: The referendum result will be implemented. We have the nub of the problem here. This explains the delay that the Chief Minister has been at great pains to try to defend. She talks in terms of the Federal legislation and the fact that her department has been working on aspects of the referendum proposal
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .