Page 2938 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 14 September 1994
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MRS CARNELL: We had no problems with referring this Bill to a committee to look at the actual Bill itself. The issue with which we have a problem is referring the matter to be looked at in principle. We already have a situation where Mr Moore and Ms Szuty supposedly support it in principle; but then Ms Szuty brings forward terms of reference to look at CIR in principle. There is absolutely no logic in that. We believe that Mr Moore and Ms Szuty have jettisoned the principle in the hope of using the committee system and any publicity that might come out of it for a few votes. That is pretty hard to understand; but it certainly seems that a few people around here are getting a bit desperate.
We are very concerned that if, as it appears, these Bills are referred to a committee process, they will simply sink, and we will not see them again in this Assembly. I think that that would be a tragedy. We will have only two days of private members business to handle a Bill of this nature and whatever comes out of the committee. I think it would be very unlikely that the Assembly would have the capacity to do that. We saw that this morning with the Medical Treatment Bill - - -
Debate interrupted.
ADJOURNMENT
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! It being 4.30 pm, I propose the question:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr Berry: I require the question to be put forthwith without debate.
Question resolved in the negative.
COMMUNITY INITIATED REFERENDUMS - SELECT COMMITTEE
Appointment
Debate resumed.
MRS CARNELL: For those who have not already heard my explanation in my presentation speech, the rationale for CIR is to allow the people of the ACT to initiate and change the laws under which they live and to give them power to vote on those laws. That is a fairly simple proposal. It really is as simple as that. It is called democracy. Certainly, it appears that a few people around this house are opposed to it, which is very unfortunate.
Mr Moore: That is simplistic, Kate, and you know it.
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