Page 2310 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 22 June 1994
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Mr Kaine: Whose document is it?
MR STEVENSON: I am not sure whether it is an Opposition document or a Government document. It may be either. I will try to read it as we go through the morning, if we do not adjourn the debate. Presumably, that was the final list of amendments. Yet, when we arrived here this morning, we were given what Mr Moore refers to as the "tidied up" version of amendments. Let us hope that they are all tidied up to the degree that they were when given to us previously, because we certainly have not had an opportunity to read them.
I am not suggesting that any of the amendments are wrong. I think it is great to be able to look at legislation and see where it can be improved, after consultation, or simply by going through the matter and gaining an understanding that there is a better way of doing something. I think that is marvellous. As members know, I have tabled the Electors Initiative and Referendum Bill a couple of times after receiving suggested amendments. I last did that last Wednesday, and what we have before the parliament is the final thing. There are no other amendments floating around. When you read the Bill you do not need to sit down with a pile of papers in front of you and try to work out how everything relates.
I suggested some time ago that the best way of dealing with the Public Sector Management Bill would be to put all the amendments together and then allow us time to read it in this form. Would that not be sensible? If anyone wants to stand up and say that it is not, stop pulling our legs. This is important legislation. It is not a political matter. It is a commonsense matter. We are not talking about whether or not the legislation should be passed. The Assembly has agreed that the legislation, in principle, should be passed. What we are talking about is how it will work.
We have heard the suggestion, "Let us divorce the Public Sector Management Bill from reform of the public service. Let us pass the Bill that governs the public service and later we can look at reforming the public service". I would suggest that that is not the best way to go about introducing laws into this Territory, particularly a law as important as this law. I ask all members to rethink. Do not necessarily hold to an earlier viewpoint. Look at the situation. There are too many groups that are concerned about problems with this legislation. Too many amendments have been made. I agree with the principle of amending things. There is nothing wrong with that. But these amendments have been made recently. I doubt that any member, any one of the 17 of us, has had a chance to read the Public Sector Management Bill together with the final, tidied up amendments.
For five years we have had legislation pass through this Assembly too rapidly. At one time or another, I believe, every member in this Assembly has stood up and said, "With this particular legislation, do not rush it through. Let us adjourn it. Let us wait. Let us provide a bit more time for consultation. Let us look at these matters". A number of times, unfortunately, that was not agreed to because of the numbers. It was not because of commonsense, not because there was nothing else to consider, but simply because of the numbers. It has been shown again and again that the
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