Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (24 May) . . Page.. 1758 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

This place should always be prepared to consider motions from all non-executive members, but they should always be motions that are put forward in good faith. What we saw today was simply an attempt by this government to frustrate private members business. The only reason we are here at this hour this evening, Mr Speaker, is that in private members business last Wednesday the government closed down the Assembly early, when there had been an agreement to progress to a later hour.

We would not be here so late this evening if we had had the opportunity to properly debate the items that were on the agenda last Wednesday. Because we were not able to do that, those items came back this Wednesday, and now we are here, at this hour, because of members' desire to get them through. The government gets a lot of time for its business in this place. Private members still get relatively less time, though they have far more than in many other parliaments. For that reason, it is quite disappointing and, indeed, a mark of the lack of cooperation this government is extending to this Assembly, that it continues to frustrate private members business in this way.

Last week we saw an early adjournment. This week we saw the introduction of motions designed to slow down private members business. Last week we also saw an MPI during private members business: not during the days when the government had business, only on the days when non-executive members had business.

Mr Hird: What about the times you've brought on MPIs during government business?

MR CORBELL: That was the only time, Mr Hird, that you brought on an MPI. Indeed the only time you ever bring on an MPI, Mr Hird, is during non-executive business. The reason is that this government is not prepared to allow non-executive members a reasonable period of time to deal with this business.

I want to indicate, on behalf of my colleagues, that we have a growing sense of frustration with this government's attitude to private members business. They obviously don't like the fact that they are continually suffering defeats during private members business, and that they are continually seeing their positions undermined and not accepted by the majority of this Assembly. They obviously find private members business somewhat embarrassing.

Mr Smyth: Hang on, why don't you accept the majority?

MR CORBELL: Mr Smyth really should be quiet on this matter, because he, more than anyone else, has suffered embarrassing defeats in private members business. The most obvious of those is the one that the government has just shut down, and that is the debate on Mr Berry's occupational health and safety commission bill. Mr Smyth fought tooth and nail to defeat that bill. He was unsuccessful, and yet he came back a second time with some spurious amendment, claiming that Mr Berry's bill was inadequate.

This simply highlights this government's growing embarrassment at its inability to win the argument on the floor of the Assembly during private members business, and its lack of cooperation and goodwill towards the Assembly in allowing private members-non-executive members-adequate time to deal with their bills. Need I say any more? This is just another sign of arrogance from this government.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .