Page 381 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 23 February 1993
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MR STEVENSON: I have never said that you should not exist. I just said that you should not exist in the Assembly; that is all.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, please! Mr Stevenson, please address your remarks to me.
MR STEVENSON: I am sorry, Madam Speaker; I got carried away.
Mrs Carnell: It is his fault.
MR STEVENSON: No, it is my responsibility. The truth of the matter is that Mr Connolly got up and made some good points. Mr Berry did the same thing. Any of us can do it. Mr Humphries, when he was Minister, and some of the other Liberal Ministers may have moved too quickly on some legislation, but they have seen the error of their ways and are now standing up for the people of Canberra.
Mr Moore: Now that they are not in government they can be honest.
MR STEVENSON: I was not going to say that. The truth of the matter is that it is not good enough just to say that other people have done it as well. What we need is a genuine attempt by the people in this Assembly to give Canberrans an opportunity to get involved in their government. This does not do it. Is this debate really going to achieve anything? There is only one thing that is going to achieve anything, and that is legislation that will make it extremely difficult for members to force legislation through the Assembly without the public having a say in it. That is the only way. Again and again we hear lip-service about it on the various matters of public importance that I have brought up and at other times. It is only lip-service. I have not the slightest doubt that members will go on ramming through the Assembly legislation that the community cannot possibly have time to find out about, comment on or improve, and is that not one of the most important possibilities?
Question put:
That the motion (Mr Humphries's) be agreed to.
The Assembly voted -
AYES, 8 NOES, 9
Mrs Carnell Mr Berry
Mr Cornwell Mr Connolly
Mr De Domenico Ms Ellis
Mr Humphries Ms Follett
Mr Kaine Mrs Grassby
Mr Stevenson Mr Lamont
Ms Szuty Ms McRae
Mr Westende Mr Moore
Mr Wood
Question so resolved in the negative.
Sitting suspended from 5.13 to 8.00 pm
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