Page 4669 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 7 December 1994
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I can count and I am sure that the community will be very interested in those members who suggest that it is okay for people to have a part-time occupation in this Assembly. People will be very interested. I think that they will have a bit of a think about this issue and they will be considering very soon whether they will vote for people who intend to carry on some sort of an occupation. One candidate who has presented himself, one of the Democrats, is a GP around the place. I do not know whether he intends to give up his general practice to come in here and work as an Assembly member. If he does, good on him. I think it would be wrong for him to retain the business, but that is a position that is entirely up to him.
Mr Humphries: You are attacking your opponents from the coward's castle, are you, Wayne?
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
MR BERRY: I have not named anybody, Mr Humphries. I am not as gutless as you are on that score. The issue here is whether you support the principle. I can count. You do not. We do. I am not surprised that the conservatives did not, because I knew, in my heart of hearts, that they would be most sensitive about it. I saw a demonstration of it over here the other day when Mr De Domenico came over and asked me what it was all about. He was most anxious and nervous. That raises some questions in my mind which we might discover a little bit more about in due course. Again, I go back to that initial position. Mr Kaine, if you wanted to do a little bit of accounting work and to donate a bit of your accounting skills to somebody, you would not be prevented from doing so. Do not use that one. The fact is that this is about people who are operating businesses, trades or professions, and working in this place, risking conflicts of interest and presenting an image to the community that you and I, Mr Kaine, have been trying to remove for some time.
Question put:
That the motion (Mr Berry's) be agreed to.
The Assembly voted -
AYES, 8 NOES, 9
Mr Berry Mrs Carnell
Mr Connolly Mr Cornwell
Ms Ellis Mr De Domenico
Ms Follett Mr Humphries
Mrs Grassby Mr Kaine
Mr Lamont Mr Moore
Ms McRae Mr Stefaniak
Mr Wood Mr Stevenson
Ms Szuty
Question so resolved in the negative.
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