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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 8 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 2571 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

Also, Mr Berry pursued the line that this was about a grab for resources. I actually thought that it was an off-the-record meeting and that we would just throw things around. That is fine. I am not ashamed of it. But it is interesting that you can think that some things are not particularly official and you find otherwise. Of course, we were interested in resources for staffing in this place, because we wanted to do the job well. What I am hearing here consistently is that Mr Berry is claiming that this is some kind of greedy grab for resources, as if that is going to make us more powerful.

What it is acknowledging is that there needs to be an equitable allocation of resources in this place. Of course, if Labor has six members, it is still advantaged. There are six people to do the work that two of us do here and that one person does there. I can see the problem for Labor members. We found out today that they do not actually talk to each other. That is why there was a huge issue about adjourning a debate that we have had on the notice paper since December. I guess that, if you do not talk to each other, that is an issue; but I can actually see how you can have an advantage if there are six members rather than two. You are still going to have more resources to look at the issues. What the community is interested in seeing here is that members who are elected to represent them have the resources to do the job well. What you can see if you look at the record - and Mrs Carnell pointed it out - is that the work that is done by the crossbenchers is indeed significant, and not even just reactive, which is all they can do with all their extra resources and extra numbers of people.

It was very interesting to hear what Ms McRae had to say about how an opposition works and whether they should come up with their own ideas. They are here, Ms McRae said, because they have to ensure that the people in their electorates are represented here. Indeed, I would agree with that. But that does not mean that you cannot be proactive in your work. Why does that mean that you have to be just reactive? If the people you are representing, Ms McRae, are not faring well under this Government, why not initiate your own legislation and your own work?

The quality of the work that comes from the crossbenches and from Labor is interesting, too. The number of initiatives, as Mrs Carnell said, and the amount of work we have with the parliamentary drafters that has not been returned to us are very worrying. But the point is that the work that is coming from Labor is often of a very political nature. It is often a very political statement of some kind. So, I really find it very disappointing to hear Ms McRae say that there is a place for political - - -

Mr Whitecross: Moving motions attacking the Leader of the Opposition is not political, is it?

MS TUCKER: Mr Whitecross interjects, Mr Speaker.

Mr Whitecross: Hypocrisy gone berserk.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

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