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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 4924 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

That is not a representative process, Mr Speaker. That is a process which is highly individualistic and driven by self-interest and political opportunism. That is how an Independent works, Mr Speaker. I say it because I feel strongly about it. I say it when I hear people like Mr Osborne stand up in this place and suggest that the old parties are somehow undemocratic or unrepresentative, because I know that in my own party the processes of policy formulation are very democratic. Some people would even say that they are overly democratic, with the number of levels and processes we have to work through. But at least our membership and at least our constituency know where we stand on every issue, know what we believe in and know what we will do if elected to government. That is something you do not know when it comes to Independents on the crossbenches.

Mr Speaker, in the end, governance of this Territory is important. In the end, it is too important to jeopardise as part of an election campaign. In the end, the only way to achieve an effective review of governance in the Territory is to make sure that that review does not occur in the heat of a political election campaign. We believe that it is important that it occurs. It should not be occurring now. That is the intention of Mr Berry's amendment.

Mr Moore: Mr Speaker, I would like to make a personal explanation under standing order 46, with your leave. In fact, I would like to make four, with your leave.

MR SPEAKER: Can you do it after the debate, Mr Moore?

Mr Moore: There are already four, Mr Speaker. There might be some others. So, I might as well wait.

MR SPEAKER: Yes.

Mr Moore: Mr Speaker, I draw your attention to the standing orders. In this case, they do not require me to wait until after the debate. The precedent is to wait until after question time, but not until after the debate. But I am happy to wait.

MR SPEAKER: It is simply a matter of convenience, Mr Moore.

MRS LITTLEWOOD (12.12): Mr Speaker, I am absolutely amazed at some of the words that have been uttered in this place this morning. This is a genuine attempt to give the people of Canberra a little more of a say, to look at our process and to see whether or not it is the best for the people of Canberra. Again, it has been turned into a "bash Kate Carnell" exercise. Mr Speaker, what is happening here is just pathetic. There is no other word to describe it. This is a genuine attempt to give the people of Canberra possibly a review of what they want their Assembly to be. Yet again, we have the negative aspects from people on the other side, who have no ideas of their own and who bag everything that comes into this place that is worth while.

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