Page 3708 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 9 December 1992
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MR LAMONT: I know what I have put in, Mr Humphries. For Mr De Domenico to suggest that he knows proves the fallacy of what he was saying. Not only that, but Mr De Domenico - with me, a recent electee to this Assembly - has quite obviously not understood what parliamentary practice is in relation to MPIs. He said, "It is common parliamentary practice. It is a precedent. It is something which the Westminster system is based on".
Mr Humphries: It is.
MR LAMONT: That is not the case. Find it. Here it is.
Mr Humphries: You said yourself that there have been two government MPIs in the last three months.
MR LAMONT: Here it is. Go for your life. Get the green book out. You have probably got one in your drawer. You have probably never read it and, if you have, I doubt whether you would understand it. From your comments today you have shown that you obviously do not.
Mr Humphries: Play the man, not the ball.
MR LAMONT: No, I am not. The issues he raises are fundamentally flawed, for the two reasons I have outlined. Mr De Domenico wishes to create two classes of members. That is an absolute outrage. He goes on to say that the reason it should happen is that it is the precedent and the parliamentary practice in other places. Both reasons are wrong. The Opposition's protestations that something is true do not mean that it is true. On this occasion, quite frankly, you are unable, other than probably being miffed at the sheer intelligence and insightfulness of the MPIs put in by government members - - -
Mr De Domenico: Especially the one you had up yesterday.
MR LAMONT: It was. It was extremely critical that that MPI on racism - - -
Mr De Domenico: Extremely.
MR LAMONT: Do you not think it is a matter that should be discussed here, Mr De Domenico? It is up to an individual member to decide what the matter of public importance is that he or she wishes to submit. Mr De Domenico now appears to want to be able to control even that. Not only does he wish the non-executive government MLAs to grovel to him - something his own leader believes, as I do, should not occur in this house on any occasion by an MLA - but he also wants to be able to determine what non-executive members of the Government put in their MPIs. He now wants to try to determine what issues are discussed as MPIs.
It is, in my view, a fundamental right of non-executive MLAs to raise, when they see fit, any issue consistent with the requirements in the format for MPIs. It is absolutely essential that that basic democratic right in this chamber be preserved and protected.
Mr De Domenico: Only if it is done responsibly.
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