Page 3728 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 9 December 1992
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category of the legislation program that was tabled in the Assembly. It is unusual for a government to table its legislation program - unusual, I think, to the point of being unique - and it is done in an attempt to assist other members of this Assembly to prepare for matters that may be debated in the Assembly.
The nature of the legislation program is quite important to understand what is going on here. First, can I say that the program is not designed to be a measure of the Government's legislative performance. As I said, it is an indication of the areas the Government may be calling on members to debate. In fact, Mr Berry at the time he tabled the legislation program said:
The program will provide members with an overview of the non-budget legislation proposals intended for introduction into the Assembly or for preparation -
note that -
during the budget sittings.
Mr Humphries: That is your let-out clause.
MS FOLLETT: Mr Humphries interjects that that is a let-out clause; but it quite clearly is the clause that wipes out most of his arguments. The words "or for preparation" quite clearly include matters which we probably would not put before the Assembly but on which we are working. The program is therefore a statement of legislative intent. I can assure members that the vast majority of proposals listed in that program are actually in preparation - those that have not yet been introduced into the Assembly - and those that are in preparation include quite a number that are nearing completion.
Mr Humphries has also conveniently ignored the flexible nature of the legislation program, and it is a flexible document.
Mr De Domenico: Very flexible.
Mr Humphries: Yes, it is really flexible.
MS FOLLETT: Members can scoff. It is about as flexible as the leadership of the Liberal Party. On a more serious note, I quote again from Mr Berry's statement:
By its nature the program must be flexible so as to accommodate emerging issues. Similarly, the priority classification of proposals may also be subject to change.
At the time this program was put out it was not envisaged as being carved in stone, and it has been subject to change. Mr Humphries is relying for the vast majority of his argument on a document produced in August. Without the benefit of a crystal ball, the Government can never hope to predict at the beginning of a sitting all the emerging issues that might come to the attention of this Assembly.
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