Page 1583 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 19 May 1993
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MR BERRY: Hang on a minute. If you really stuck to the rule the 30-day rule would apply if it was set in concrete. From time to time you are going to get - - -
Mr Moore: Sixteen hours, and it took a year to deliver the answer, by which time it was redundant.
MR BERRY: I have already said that we accept that.
Mr Kaine: Yes, they could have delivered the answer the next day if it took only 16 hours.
MR BERRY: Well, there you go. Stop everything. Do not worry about the sharp end; just worry about your question. We cannot do that. You can create all sorts of agitation about questions. It is part of the political process, and we accept that. But from time to time you will be told that we cannot do it; that our resources do not permit us to do it. I will not divert my officials. We have to decide what the priorities are.
Mr Kaine: Especially if it is an embarrassing question.
MR BERRY: You have never asked one yet. You have got lots of embarrassing answers. Take yesterday as a classic example. You got an embarrassing answer yesterday. Mrs Carnell, what a joke!
Mr Kaine: Which one was that?
MR BERRY: That is right; she gets lots of embarrassing answers, I know, Trevor. You sometimes get notice on the telephone, "We are going to ask you a question about a particular subject at question time". They do not give you any more detail than that. Then all of a sudden you get a question which requires some detail in relation to a particular matter. I have been the subject of that sort of stunt.
Mr Kaine: You also used it when you were in opposition.
MR BERRY: No, no; we would not go as low as that. The Liberals are lower than a snake's belly on some of these issues. They use rough tactics, rough as bags. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, this is part of the political process and we accept that, but at the end of the day members will have to accept that there are times when we are not going to be able to comply with the 30-day rule. I think the most appropriate thing to do would be for wiser minds to sit down and look at the issue in terms of the standing orders and think it through carefully, rather than adopt the poorly drafted approach which has been put together by Mr Humphries, because it means nothing in real terms.
Mrs Carnell: You should not be worried by it.
MR BERRY: I am not worried about it, because if it is interpreted as it is written it means nothing; but we know that that will not be the case if it becomes an issue. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Government will oppose the motion because it is nonsensical and has not been well thought through, which is something Mr Humphries often complains about, as I recall. It would be better sorted out by the Administration and Procedures Committee, as far as the
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