Page 496 - Week 02 - Thursday, 25 February 1993
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a Liberal or half an Independent and half a Liberal and all that sort of silly nonsense. I think perhaps a lobotomy has occurred anyway. You are absolutely refusing to accept the facts of history. The facts of history are that there were gaps in committee representation, gaps which ought to have been filled by the Independents, and they will now be filled as a result of this motion. It was discussed with your Whip. If your Whip is keeping secrets from you, that is your problem, not ours.
MR STEVENSON (11.22): Mr Berry mentioned that there was an attempt to get a cooperative arrangement, and it may be that there was not quite enough time for that. That is why I voted for the adjournment. If there are a number of members in this Assembly who feel that the arrangements should be looked at with a little more time rather than late yesterday, when they found out, I think that is reasonable.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Stevenson, could you confine your remarks to the motion, please.
MR STEVENSON: What is the motion, please, Madam Speaker?
Mr Moore: That Ms Szuty be appointed to the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs and Mr Moore to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, and that Ms Szuty be discharged from the Social Policy Committee and Mr Moore put there.
Mr Kaine: What is he talking about if he is not talking about that?
Mr Moore: He was reflecting on the vote to adjourn.
MADAM SPEAKER: It is a good idea not to talk about the vote, Mr Stevenson.
MR STEVENSON: As to whether or not that should happen, I think it is reasonable that the matter be adjourned. That does not necessarily have to reflect on a past vote; it can reflect on a future vote.
Mr Berry also said something about screeching. I take up the point that in the first three years of the Assembly I nominated for the Public Accounts Committee. I was blocked by members who have done a lot of screeching in this place. I nominated for the Administration and Procedures Committee. I was blocked by members who do a lot of screeching in this house. I nominated for another committee. I was further blocked by members who do a lot of screeching in this house. As a sop, I was told that I was on the Cultural Activities and Facilities Committee. No-one asked me; I was told. This is how we have some sort of democratic say. I was on one committee, and obviously that was only because it was thought that I could not do much damage on the Social Policy Committee; they would have to give me one or it would just look too blatant.
I think there was a bit of a problem with that one. The fluoride inquiry came down to the Social Policy Committee. You would have been a lot better off creating a select committee for that. The 177-page dissenting report records that history very well. You would well understand, although you may not agree with it, that I use my time extremely well to benefit the community and to help groups in Canberra. You may not like that, but I will continue to do it.
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