Page 180 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 16 February 2011
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formal voice, the only person who would pretend to have actually read, digested and sought to understand, whose intuitive response was to oppose it without, I am sure, having read it, without having digested any of the recommendations, and has, nevertheless, delivered the verdict of the Liberal Party that reform is too hard. It is too hard. It requires you to think. It requires you to actually be able to prepare, to take some risks. It forces you to be open to change. It requires some energy, the capacity to think laterally with innovation. It requires you, in the first instance, of course, to get out of bed in the morning and to accept your responsibilities.
It was, I think, so predictable that, unfortunate as it is, the response of the Liberal Party would be to oppose immediately, to oppose absolutely, to oppose without any suggestion around—
Mr Barr: A bit of opposition for opposition’s sake.
MR STANHOPE: A bit of opposition for opposition’s sake—actually, a continuation of the theme—and we see it here most starkly in relation to a significant piece of work, considered over six months, developed after over 100 individual meetings, a range of submissions, detailed conversations and discussions, dismissed completely out of hand.
It does speak volumes for the Leader of the Opposition and the for Liberal Party and the position they occupy in this place, a position that they have occupied for some period of time now and that they have become comfortable in, and that is opposition. But every now and again, every four years, they pretend or seek to pretend that they really are a potential alternative government. But they are now so comfortable in the role of opposition, a role that they perform, as we know, exceedingly well—and it is probably the only role that they are fit for—
MR SPEAKER: Order. Chief Minister, the question was not an invite to comment on the Liberal Party.
MR STANHOPE: I was on the way. I was talking about responses. (Time expired.) I was talking about one of the responses that have been received. It has been the only negative response to the report that has been received.
MR SPEAKER: Chief Minister, resume your seat. Mr Hargreaves has the floor.
MR HARGREAVES: To the Chief Minister, I have a supplementary. Notwithstanding the sleepwalking attitude of those opposite—
Mrs Dunne: Preamble.
MR SPEAKER: It is a preamble, yes. Thank you, Mr Hargreaves.
MR HARGREAVES: Excuse me. I suggest you go back and check it out.
MR SPEAKER: No, Mr Hargreaves. Mr Hargreaves, ask the question or sit down.
MR HARGREAVES: There was no preamble, Mr Speaker.
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