Page 3104 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 17 November 1992
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MR DE DOMENICO: I would not go so far as to say that, but we were represented. Like members on this side of the house, certain members on Mr Wood's side of the house were not there. That is true of the meeting when the report was being considered. Three members of the Government have said, "Listen, we did not get a good chance of making comments on the things that we were concerned about". That is not true. On the morning in question Ms Ellis did come in for a while but then she walked out again.
Mr Berry: To a public hearing.
MR DE DOMENICO: Yes. I am suggesting that one of the reasons why she walked out may have been that, on seeing that no-one else from her party was there, she felt lonely. We know that members opposite from time to time feel lonely.
Mr Kaine: They always travel in pairs.
MR DE DOMENICO: That is right. For members opposite to have a go at members of the Liberal Party for not being present at all meetings of the Estimates Committee is double standards, to say the least and to be very kind. I repeat what Mr Westende and Mr Kaine have said. When Ms Szuty was first elected as chairperson of this committee on a motion by the Chief Minister, we were slightly concerned. Let me say, though, after the experience of sitting on the Estimates Committee and being at the meeting subsequent to the public hearings, that Ms Szuty did a wonderful job. It is unfortunate for the Government that they disagree - - -
Mr Kaine: That is demonstrated by the fact that Mr Berry does not like what the report says.
MR DE DOMENICO: That is right. It is unfortunate that Mr Berry does not agree with what the report says. It is no revelation, Madam Speaker, that Mr Berry was criticised in this year's Estimates Committee report. Things have not changed since 1991. As Mr Humphries quite ably said, even way back when many of us were not here, Mr Berry, you were not answering questions. Things do not change much. You have not answered questions this year and I dare say that on the off-chance that you are still Minister for Health - and I doubt that - you will not answer the questions next year either.
For anyone to say that this report came out with enormous revelations about this Minister is just sheer humbug, Madam Speaker. Mr Berry was seen to be deficient in the way he answered questions. That is true not only of the Estimates Committee. As members of the house and anybody who comes to question time would realise, it is no revelation to say that Mr Berry does not answer questions. Sometimes he even gets it wrong when he is reading from a prepared sheet after a dorothy dixer has been asked.
People may stand up in this house and say, "This Estimates Committee report is no good because poor old Mr Berry gets a shellacking". So be it. If the blowtorch burns too much on the belly, Mr Berry, I suggest that you get out of the kitchen.
Mr Kaine: You mean the workshop.
MR DE DOMENICO: Or the workshop.
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