Page 3187 - Week 10 - Thursday, 16 September 1993
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Quite clearly, Mr Stevenson has reversed his previous decision and is now a willing and passionate defender of the autonomy of this Assembly. This would come as interesting news to some of Mr Stevenson's supporters, and I think it is worth noting. Mr Stevenson has maintained throughout his five years in this Assembly that this Assembly had no right to exist. If it is a complete change of heart on Mr Stevenson's part, I welcome it and I hope that it will be reflected in his future political stance.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
BOXING CONTROL (AMENDMENT) BILL 1993
Debate resumed from 26 August 1993, on motion by Mr Berry:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
MR CORNWELL (12.01): The Opposition will not be opposing this amendment to the Boxing Control Act 1993. It would be very strange if we did, because it is implementing what this Opposition, together with the Independents, wished to have implemented in the first place, that is, to remove the ban on kick boxing contests in the ACT. It is, however, of some regret that it has taken three-and-a-half months since the will of the Assembly was clearly demonstrated to this minority - I repeat minority - Government. On 11 May a motion of Ms Szuty's to allow kick boxing in the ACT was passed by a majority of this Assembly. The fact that it was subsequently shown that the amendment Ms Szuty moved was not adequate to allow this to occur is totally irrelevant.
Mr Berry: You supported it.
MR CORNWELL: Mr Minister, I will acknowledge that interjection. That is totally irrelevant. The will of the Assembly was made abundantly clear, crystal clear. This minority Government had very clear instructions from the majority of this Assembly that we wished the Boxing Control Bill 1993 to be amended to reflect the will of the majority of this Assembly, and that was that kick boxing contests were not to be banned in the ACT.
Ms Follett: Just ignore the law.
MR CORNWELL: It is not a matter, Chief Minister, of ignoring the law. The fact remains that the Assembly sought to allow kick boxing in the ACT. You as the Government have a responsibility to implement the will of the Assembly. Where would we be, and, indeed, in future where will we be - this is why I am spending some time addressing this matter - if the Assembly goes against the wishes of this minority Government or perhaps the wishes of a Minister who is personally opposed to something? Are we to be ignored by the Government simply because the Government or the Minister concerned does not agree with the decision of the Assembly? Are we obliged to chase up every amendment we make to government legislation so that we do not have a situation where three-and-a-half months later we have the amendment we sought being brought before the Assembly? I would suggest that that is a waste of Assembly members' time and clearly flouts the wishes of the majority of the Assembly.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .