Page 3920 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 9 November 1994
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Matters that we might differ on will be well ventilated, I am sure, because Mr Kaine's committees are very democratically run, and fairly run. The outcome may not result in a unanimous decision, but at the end of the day everybody will be satisfied that they have had a fair go in Mr Kaine's committee. Mrs Carnell, it would do you proud if you were to accept that your colleague Mr Kaine is in a position to deal quite ably with this issue in his committee, and I think that should be the course which is followed.
MR MOORE (11.42): Madam Speaker, the issue today in debating this Bill reflects two important factors. First of all, the Leader of the Opposition would attack one of her own members.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Moore, I believe that you have spoken before on this issue. Is leave of the Assembly granted for Mr Moore to speak again?
Leave granted.
MR MOORE: Thank you, members. I appreciate that, and I will be brief. The debate today focuses on two things - first of all, the attack that this represents from the Leader of the Opposition on one of her own party members and, secondly, an admission on her part of her inadequacy as a leader. They are the two things it does. This attacks Mr Kaine for his incompetence in not dealing with this issue within his Assembly committee. Mr Kaine is chair of that committee and it is up to him to drive that issue. The issue of community initiated referenda was before a select committee for a far shorter period; but that committee, with a great deal more to consider, has been able to prepare a report which will be tabled tomorrow. Madam Speaker, it was always possible for Mr Kaine to take this issue, to realise how important it was to his leader, and to run with it. Mrs Carnell recognises that Mr Kaine would not do that and is therefore suggesting incompetence on his part. However, Madam Speaker, we all know that Mr Kaine can drive committees and can drive issues, as he does, for example, in the Public Accounts Committee. Time after time there are quite extraordinary and quite difficult issues before the Public Accounts Committee that Mr Kaine drives. He is capable of doing it. But, for some reason, he is not doing so on this issue. Why?
That takes us to the issue of leadership on the part of Mrs Carnell. She cannot get him to do it. One has to wonder whether Mrs Carnell has even asked Mr Kaine, "Can you get this one out? You know that the Public Interest Disclosure Bill is really important to us in the Liberal Party. It is really important to get this out. It is an important issue. Trev, drive it for us. Go for it". That is the sort of thing one would expect of a competent leader. Because we are not privy to those sorts of conversations, it is up to us to draw some conclusions about what must have happened between these two people in the Liberal Party. There is some great rift there, surely, that means that we cannot get that sort of - - -
Mr Cornwell: You have the wrong party. Ask him over there about abortion.
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