Page 2125 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 9 September 1992
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We have worked out the Liberal Party's agenda of criticism of the Government. We can predict in advance the way they will be going on particular issues. It all goes back presumably to some dancing lessons that some of them had some time ago, when they learnt the quickstep, when they were recited to by the instructor, "Slow slow, quick quick, slow". That seems to be the pattern of criticism of our legislation. It does not matter what the issue is. They say, "You are moving too slowly on this one. This is terrible. The Labor Government is doing all sorts of terrible things because it is moving too slowly".
Ms Ellis: That pattern is actually a slow foxtrot, not a quickstep.
MR CONNOLLY: Well, whatever. I was never a great dancer, I must confess.
Ms Ellis: I was. Slow slow, quick quick, slow is a slow foxtrot.
MR CONNOLLY: It is a slow foxtrot, I am advised. Then on the next issue it is said, "The Government is moving too fast. It should refer this to a committee. It should delay debate". When they have nothing to say on Labor's reform agenda - which, as we have pointed out before, has seen far more substantial legislation brought before this Assembly in far faster time than when the Alliance had control of this place - - -
Mr Humphries: That is all our legislation you are bringing forward; that is why.
MR CONNOLLY: There we go. That is their second fall back. They say that we are moving too quickly and then on other issues they say that we are moving too slowly. It is not a substantive criticism at all, Madam Speaker. The Government's commitment is clear. It was set out very clearly in the Chief Minister's remarks and needs no expansion. The Government will implement the will of the people as expressed in the referendum, the legislation will be brought before this Assembly within the timetable set out by the Chief Minister and the Assembly will decide what the electoral system will be for the people of Canberra.
If you think you are going to get some bites out there in the community with this mad conspiracy theory that we are somehow proposing to thwart the will of the people, you are just pushing it uphill. Our position could not be clearer. We will implement the referendum result, and we have people working on that matter. The timetable is clear. The legislation will be brought before the Assembly and it will be the Assembly's decision. I was brief, to give Mr Stevenson an opportunity to speak.
MR STEVENSON (3.48): Now, what was I going to say? The Chief Minister said earlier today that the people clearly showed what system they wanted and that it will be implemented. I think it worthy of note that the suggestion that that was what the people actually wanted is absolutely unreasonable. The two referendum questions were the Hare-Clark system and 17 single-member electorates. However, Hare-Clark in this case meant three electorates. So the real choice was not between Hare-Clark and 17 electorates, but between three electorates and 17 electorates. Suggesting that, when the people were given a choice of only three or 17, they picked three - they would have picked 10 over 17, five over 10, three over 10 and so on - - -
Mr Connolly: Or none over three.
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