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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 12 Hansard (16 November) . . Page.. 3547 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Secondly, Mr Speaker, there are obviously consequences for us down the track. We will have to come back for extended sittings later this year at a cost to the community, and this may involve late night sittings. I have to ask myself and the community why we are doing that, what is the importance and urgency of doing that.

If the Assembly wishes to have a rolling system of no-confidence motions, as we seem to be in the process of doing, we should at least allow governments of the day to get on with some business in the meantime while we are waiting for the sword of Damocles to fall at some point or other on the government's head. So, Mr Speaker, I simply put on record the Government's opposition to the motion.

MR BERRY (11.12), in reply: To close the debate, I just want to make a few comments, Mr Speaker. It needs to be put on the record that Labor made it clear that it wanted a special sitting of the Assembly to introduce this motion. That would have relieved the Assembly of the loss of a few days of sitting. We have also indicated that we are prepared to have extra sitting days should our motion fail, and it should not. The decisions to change the Assembly pattern of dealing with these things is always in the hands of Assembly members. We move the motion because we believe that it is important that very serious motions of no confidence in the Chief Minister of a territory government need to be given the respect they deserve.

Mr Speaker, it is always in the hands of members of this chamber to change the pattern. We have formed the view that it is important on this occasion - given the weighty circumstances that preceded the motion of no confidence - and we urge members to support the motion.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

ADJOURNMENT

MR HUMPHRIES (Treasurer, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Community Safety)(11.14): Mr Speaker, I accept the will of the Assembly that we not do any further work. I move:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Assembly adjourned at 11.13 am until Wednesday, 24 November 1999, at 10.30 am.

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