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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 8 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 2558 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

It is not just the committee system, which I think is acknowledged around the place as better than most in Australia. Have you noticed that since question time Michael Moore is now talking to the Chief Minister, with Kerrie Tucker? I have been talking to Paul Osborne. I just had a discussion with Gary Humphries about a Bill. There is constant movement around the Assembly; there is constant discussion. This place actually works, in the end, by cooperation. There is a lot of theatre around, too, from time to time, a lot of stunts and feigned grievances, along with those really genuine, deep and serious ones.

Mr Kaine: Only on the crossbenches, Bill.

MR WOOD: Never on the crossbenches, Mr Kaine.

Debate interrupted.

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.

Debate resumed.

MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, we do work together. Let us get a fix on this. I think if Ms Tucker and the Greens want to knock over any idea of the adversarial system the first people they need to go to is the media, with respect to the media. I am sure Ms Tucker knows, as I do, that, if I put out a media statement saying, "I agree with Mr Humphries", that is not news; it will never get a run. If I put out a statement disagreeing strongly and vehemently with Mr Humphries, I have a chance of getting a run, if I choose to want one. The image outside is reflected by the perceived need, I guess probably the real need, by the community to see argument, to see entertainment, to see dispute. We have all said at various times that there is not as much angst in these places as you would think by what you see. Again I am not denying that often enough there are quite deep and serious differences.

So the Assembly does work. It has worked, for better or for worse sometimes. There have been some good experiences and some not so good ones over nearly nine years in a minority Assembly. It is not as though there is a government sitting over there with a clear majority that can do as it wishes. Maybe in that circumstance, as I used to see in Queensland, you would wish for more cooperation than was evident then.

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