Page 3919 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 9 November 1994
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I would support a motion that this matter be adjourned and that the committee be allowed to consider how it might deal with the issue as time passes. I cannot speak for anybody else; but, for my part, I think that the action that has been taken thus far is quite adequate. It suits all the purposes which are appropriate in the circumstances. Any of the concerns which were whipped up by Mrs Carnell have been satisfied, I am sure, by the legislative approach which has been taken by this Assembly. The community would be entirely satisfied that this matter is being put through due process and that the committee, in its wisdom, will make some recommendations.
Mrs Carnell has set out to promote herself as a leader in relation to whistleblowers legislation. I listened to the Chief Minister's speech in relation to this and, very clearly, Mrs Carnell has flown in the face of some expert views on this matter and she is, quite plainly, wrong. I heard Ms Follett say in relation to a proposal put by Mrs Carnell that the Gibbs report said this:
... it could be said that institution of such a system -
that is, the system proposed by Mrs Carnell -
of protected informers is usually one of the first steps of a totalitarian society.
That is a bit of a surprise, coming from the Liberals; nevertheless, this shows the extent of the ignorance about these issues. They are issues that really need to be addressed in the context of that committee. I know that we are rapidly running out of time because - - -
Mrs Carnell: That is right; that is why I want to debate it.
MR BERRY: But you have to accept some day, Mrs Carnell, that you are where you are because you did not have adequate support to be anywhere else, and sometimes you are not going to have your way. You might spit the dummy in relation to that occasionally, but we all have to live with those little setbacks in life. As far as this issue goes, there are some serious flaws in the proposal that you have put. There are adequate safeguards in place. There is a committee looking at it and I think that is a quite satisfactory arrangement. In due course, as was mentioned earlier, there is a likelihood that an adjournment motion will be moved in relation to this matter. I will support that, and then the committee will be able to get on with the business, if that is what Mr Kaine and the other committee members want to do.
I have to say, as I have said earlier, that I have not detected any sense of urgency on the issue. I think there is a general level of satisfaction that the matters in relation to whistleblowers are well safeguarded by the action that the Government has taken thus far. I think they have done a good job in addressing the issue. There are no ratty proposals in what the Government has done. I cannot say that about the legislation which is being proposed by Mrs Carnell; but I am quite happy, as a committee member, to sit down and look at all the issues. If I am proven wrong, that will be something that will be picked up in the report of the committee. I am sure that Mr Kaine, as I mentioned earlier, will ensure that there is complete debate about matters which might be controversial.
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