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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 9 Hansard (28 August) . . Page.. 2735 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Members can form views about these things. Those members who would never be a member of an Executive, naturally enough, would not see much point in those sorts of provisions. Those members who from time to time do have cause to form a government may have a different view. So, Mr Speaker, I would characterise standing order 77's restriction on the time dedicated to private members business as a device, in a sense, to limit the amount of time spent on private members business in favour of the Executive's activities, or at least other activities in the Assembly. The proposal to extend private members business to run effectively the whole of Wednesday means that there is less opportunity for the Government to be able to limit the time when, in a sense, issues are focused away from the Government's agenda to a certain period of the week.

Mr Moore: Diddums.

MR HUMPHRIES: I do not know whether Mr Moore was listening; but, as I said before, members who would never be members of the Executive no doubt would feel it is appropriate to increase as much as possible the power of the Assembly or non-government members vis-a-vis government members or the Government.

Debate interrupted.

ADJOURNMENT

MR SPEAKER: Order! It being 5.00 pm, I propose the question:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

Mr Humphries: I require the question to be put forthwith without debate.

Question resolved in the negative.

TEMPORARY ORDER 77

Debate resumed.

MR HUMPHRIES: There, Mr Speaker, was an example of the power that the Executive has. Only a Minister can take that action.

Mr Moore: We can change that too.

MR HUMPHRIES: Indeed, you can. You can take away all the privileges attached to the standing orders relating to the Executive's position within the Assembly. I accept that since day one of this Assembly's life there has been a move away from that power of the Executive.

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