Page 1853 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 15 June 1993
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need for credible people to be involved in the administration of these important funds. The TAB raise considerable funds for the ACT, they provide a service to the punters and they support the racing clubs. You people do not care about all of those facets of this legislation. You are interested only in providing yourself with an avenue to politicise the appointment of people.
It is very interesting that the people opposite should put this proposal forward in relation to this particular board. When Mr Kaine was the head of government he did not want to have this sort of proposal - - -
Mr Humphries: He was not asked to.
MR BERRY: It is your idea, I presume. It is not our idea. It is your idea; it is your philosophy. Therefore, why do you not carry it through at all times? This is spoiling of the highest degree; and it is bad law, as I have informed you. It serves to destabilise. Even those who oppose the Government's position in relation to this legislation would be strenuously opposed to this sort of proposal which you are putting forward. People who understand business, unlike the Liberals, would be strenuously opposed to this sort of a proposition. It is just ludicrous.
MR STEVENSON (10.48): Mr Berry protests against amendments that would give more power to this Assembly, although not necessarily at the expense of the Executive. Mr Berry says - and if members stop throwing things at each other I can continue - "How could we attract people of quality to positions if they feel that there could be a veto power?". One could look at it another way. If the Government knew that they were going to be held to be more accountable they might think of appointing someone else - not that anyone here would suggest that positions would be filled politically and not sensibly - - -
Mr Berry: Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order. Mr Stevenson drew attention to members throwing things at each other. I do not think there is any evidence of that, and his comment should not be on the record. If somebody picks up the record later on and sees that Mr Stevenson said that people were throwing things at each other, we will look like a bunch of cowboys. Withdraw it.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Stevenson, I will trust your judgment on this.
MR STEVENSON: I am happy to make the point that as someone walked across the middle of the chamber a paperclip went flying across the room. I do not doubt that it was accidental, and it was somewhat of a joke.
Could it not be that, the more you held people accountable for their jobs, the more sensible decisions you would get? I think some people would say so. Mr Berry says that the Liberal Party just want the right to knock someone off the board; they do not want to put names forward. Let us have a look at that statement. First of all, the power is indeed a veto power and not a power to propose, nominate or appoint members. Mr Berry said that the Liberals do not want that power. I heard Liberal after Liberal saying, "Yes, we would love it. Give it to us". If Mr Berry's concern is that they want to be in only at the veto stage and not at the proposal stage, I think the Liberal members have certainly stated - and they are nodding - that they are certainly happy to nominate people.
Mr Lamont: They are going to sleep, Mr Stevenson.
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