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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 8 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 2554 ..

MR OSBORNE (4.44): I understand that the debate on this motion is to be adjourned at some stage during the debate.

Mr Moore: I will seek to adjourn it.

MR OSBORNE: There are a number of points I would like to raise.

Mr Berry: No, no. You are not going to do that sort of stuff. They are going to adjourn it. Are you going to support the adjournment?

MR OSBORNE: I am not going to adjourn it, but I understand someone is. Mr Speaker, I am on the record as saying that we certainly need changes in this Assembly. I believe that at some stage we do need to get rid of the title "Leader of the Opposition". I believe the system that we have does not work as effectively as it could. How often have I sat here and watched the two major parties argue, fight, bicker and throw insults over petty things. There have often been times when one side has disagreed with the other, not because it is a bad idea but because the other side came up with it first. There have been even more times when the actual opposition in the Assembly has not been the Labor Party; it has been someone on the crossbench.

Mr Moore: The crossbench as a whole.

MR OSBORNE: Or, as Mr Moore interjects, the crossbenchers as a whole. The reality is this, Mr Speaker: When the crunch comes the two major parties always stick together. On issues that affect the power base of the Assembly, the Labor Party and the Liberal Party always seem to go together. How pathetic!

However, I will say this, Mr Speaker: I do not know whether supporting the Greens at this stage in the life of the Assembly is the way that I will go. I think what they are proposing is really a token piecemeal change at this time. We are only a few months away from an election and all of us, when we came in here, knew very well the state of play. I do not recall the Greens standing on the issue of removing the position of Leader of the Opposition prior to the last - - -

Ms Tucker: Not on that, but we did stand on the issue of more participatory processes, and that is part of this.

MR OSBORNE: Ms Tucker interjects. However, what they are proposing is very specific. They are proposing to remove the title and the role of Leader of the Opposition. As I said, this is not something I disagree with, but perhaps it does not go far enough. However, given the timeframe of the upcoming election, perhaps it is not what we should be doing. There is no point, Mr Speaker, in going in half-heartedly. If the Greens are so keen to pursue these changes, perhaps they will consider supporting some of the issues that I raised a couple of months ago.

Ms Tucker: We have been looking at them.

MR OSBORNE: Are you happy to do that? Great.

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