Page 2750 - Week 09 - Thursday, 25 August 1994
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the ACT with particular regard to the Electors Initiative and Referendum Bill 1994 [No. 2] and the Community Referendum Bill 1994. There would be four members of the committee: Mr Moore, me and two members to be nominated to the Speaker by the Liberal Party and the Labor Party. The reporting date, which I would need to include, would be in the first sitting week in October - the week of the 11th, 12th and 13th. In other words, the committee would have to report by 13 October - - -
Mr Berry: It is not in the motion.
MR STEVENSON: I need to put that in the motion.
Mr Humphries: What are you doing, Dennis? Is this the Assembly or a place where you make it up as you go along?
MR STEVENSON: I did mention that time had got away from me.
Mr Humphries: You have only had 2½ days!
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! We have a motion before us. Members will be free to amend it or postpone it. We will just let Mr Stevenson finish speaking.
MR STEVENSON: I have spoken to the Liberal Party. They felt that early in the October session would be a better time for the committee to report. I felt - - -
Mr Humphries: No, that is not true.
MR STEVENSON: If that is the case, perhaps I can include 10 November as the reporting date. The other reason that I brought this motion on today is that we already have a time problem in inquiring into this matter. There is a great deal of work to be done if the matter is to be inquired into, and it is already late in this sitting period. If we are to move on such an inquiry, I strongly suggest that we need to move now. That extra three weeks is important. Given more time, I can obviously write the motion out correctly.
MR BERRY (Manager of Government Business) (5.10): Madam Speaker, I have discussed this matter with Mr Stevenson, and in principle I have agreed with him that it is a reasonable proposal; but the problem is that it all happened at 11.55, and in that sort of timeframe it is really impossible to put together a motion which makes real sense and talks about terms of reference, reporting time, membership and all those sorts of things. Regrettably, this motion does not go anywhere near where we need it to go. It was just an unfortunate turn of events that we were stuck with the absence of sufficient time to put together a motion which would be supported by the majority and palatable to the rest. On that basis, I recommend, if you can find it within your heart to do so, that you seek leave to withdraw the motion, Mr Stevenson. We could not support the motion in its current form, because it does not sort out all of the issues.
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