Page 374 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 23 February 1993
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If we pass these Bills today and the taxation Bills tomorrow we will be doing precisely what the Government wants, and we can expect more of the same. Look at the program for this week. We have all seen that program. It contains only two new Bills to come before the Assembly. That means that to have any worthwhile work to do in the sittings in March, about a month away, we will have another series of Bills introduced into the Assembly in the first sitting week of March and we will be expected to debate those into law in the second sitting week of March, will we not? Is that not true, manager of government business? Is that not true, Chief Minister? Of course it is. I ask you: How much more of this do we have to take? Are we doing our job if we pass legislation in this kind of timeframe? We are not. It is a disgrace to the whole process of giving important legislation affecting the future of the Territory a decent chance to be digested and understood by the people that matter, and that is not only ourselves in this place but those outside it.
Madam Speaker, we will clearly be subjected to more of the same if we pass these Bills today. I ask Mr Moore to consider whether it is appropriate to once again be put in the position of ramming legislation through in this short timeframe. I have seen no reason to rush legislation through in this timeframe. None has been advanced. None has been offered. Offering briefings to members of the Assembly is a laudable change in direction. It is rather nice to see Mr Berry indulging in that for the first time in a long time, but it does not solve the problem of people in this Territory knowing what is going on through their parliament. There would not be a person in this place who has not heard someone at some time say to them, or within their earshot, "What the hell is the Assembly doing now? What is this bunch of turkeys up to?". I, for one, do not appreciate it.
Mr Connolly: No, they are talking about the Liberals.
MR HUMPHRIES: They are talking about all of us, Mr Connolly; every single last one of us. Face the facts. This Assembly is running a serious risk of losing touch with the electors who put it here, of losing touch with the people of this Territory who expect some degree of consultation before legislation is rammed down their throats. They are not getting it and I, for one, resent being put in the position of being lumped in with a majority that might decide to consider legislation with indecent haste. That is what this motion is about.
Madam Speaker, I ask the Assembly to pass this motion and to indicate that we have concern about the speed with which this is happening. I say again to those opposite who might be in some doubt in this matter that if we do not indicate now that we are not prepared to put up with this it will happen again. As sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, we will have the same thing happening in March, and again in June, and again in August and again in September, because the Government cannot get itself organised enough to put legislation in place in time to let the Assembly and the community properly digest it. It is a disgrace.
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services) (4.48): Manual of opposition tactics, volume 1, says, "Fast, fast, slow, slow. If you cannot criticise the Government on substance, criticise them for going too slow". That was done by Mrs Carnell last week when she was berating us for not bringing in some health related amendments quickly enough. Then, when you have exhausted that and you still have nothing of substance to say, criticise them for being too fast and use rhetoric
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