Page 3807 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 8 November 1994
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Broadcasting or televising would certainly solve the problem of having to come along to the parliament. We know that people are busy. They would be able to be at home, doing whatever they do, looking after the children, or out at work, and so on. If it were broadcast on the radio they could be driving around. If they were not going to be home and wanted to watch a particular debate, it could be videoed.
Mr Moore mentioned that this may encourage better behaviour. The experience in the Federal arena is that it encourages far worse behaviour. Ms Follett talked about it increasing the acceptance of self-government. Some of us would suggest the reverse. Mr Humphries suggested that some people might grandstand, but that people would see through that. I would hope and trust that they would. However, the experience of the Federal Parliament being televised, or those sections of it that are, does not necessarily lead us to that conclusion. Although we see people doing things that are perhaps not parliamentary, we did vote for them. Nevertheless, this is an excellent idea, and I commend Mr Moore for bringing it up.
MR STEFANIAK (4.48): I think we are having ourselves on if we think there is a great deal of interest in this in the community or that very many people would listen or watch, at least in the initial stages of any broadcasting of this little parliament.
Mr Moore: Especially if they have to listen to you speak.
MR STEFANIAK: That is probably right, Michael; and especially if they have to watch you grandstand. Mr Moore does raise an issue. Whilst there may not be terribly many members of the public who would be interested in following that closely, and listening and watching the broadcasting of debates in this Assembly, nevertheless it is something that occurs in other parliaments and in our Federal Parliament. I suppose that there are members of the public who are interested.
There may be members of the media who would be interested in doing so if the costs were right. I think Mr Humphries raised some very good points in relation to letting the media pay and in relation to the infrastructure of this place. It may not be a costly exercise for this Assembly to indulge in, and it may well be something that a media outlet would be prepared to pay for it. Then the idea has merit. I think of the singular lack of interest which I think the community at this stage would show in the broadcasting of these proceedings, by radio or by television, or by both. But it is something that the Administration and Procedures Committee, or some other appropriate committee, can look at and can take soundings on. I think that in taking soundings it would be very important not just to look at the cost issue but also to seek out community views and the views of any interested individuals in the community as to whether they want to see it occur, in what capacity, what concerns they have in relation to costs - if costs indeed are a factor - and then to report back on what track we can go down in terms of broadcasting.
Several speakers spoke of behaviour. I think Mr Stevenson said that TV does not seem to have modified the behaviour of certain members in the Federal Parliament. I think the Prime Minister's behaviour is probably just as bad as it always was.
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