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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-05-04 Daily Xml
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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

The Hon. M. PARNELL (15:07): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister a question about proceedings in the Legislative Council.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: Yesterday in question time the minister was confident in her ability as the sole minister in this place to manage the business of the house. On radio this morning she went even further by declaring that yesterday's business 'went very well'. Other commentators have expressed a different view, and the fact that the Legislative Council started at 2.15 and ran out of work before 5pm suggests that yesterday was not a very productive day. My questions are:

1. Given yesterday's experience, will the minister commit to publishing before sittings commence a credible agenda so that members will have confidence as to the order and priority of business?

2. How long will this interim period be when the minister is the only minister in the Legislative Council?

3. What is the plan to cover the absence of a single minister through ill health or other unforeseen reasons?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Honourable minister, some of that question does not relate to information that you might have.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (15:09): But, Mr President, I would relish the opportunity to make a few comments. In fact, the opposition's performance yesterday was nothing short of a disgrace—an absolute disgrace. I am calling on them to desist from obstructing the process of this chamber. It was nothing short of a disgrace. They had three or four weeks where we had identified well in advance—

An honourable member interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —as the honourable member alluded to, a Notice Paper that went out and that said supply would be our priority bill—three or four weeks in advance. Not one—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: It did say it would be a priority. There was a list of priorities, and it was down as No. 1. I don't know how higher up you can get, other than No. 1, on the priority list. It went out weeks in advance, and not one of those lazy members opposite had used all of those weeks off during the break to prepare a response to the Supply Bill—not one.

There was not one contribution made by the lazy opposition in this place yesterday; that is outright obstruction to government business. It does not matter how many priority lists we send out; that is not going to make any difference, because we have an opposition that is out to deliberately obstruct the business of this government. Let's move on to liquor licensing. That bill has been on the Notice Paper for six weeks—

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Six weeks that bill had been on the Notice Paper, and it was also on a notice that went out many weeks ago listing it also as a priority for debate this week. Again, not one lazy member of the opposition had bothered to prepare a contribution in advance.

An honourable member interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Briefings were made to honourable members weeks in advance.

The Hon. T.A. Franks interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I don't think the Hon. Ms Franks needs to defend the opposition.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Briefings from my agency and my office were offered to members weeks in advance. They were too lazy to avail themselves of these things, or they left it to the last minute. So, on the eve of coming into this place, they were too lazy to prepare themselves in advance. They are just two examples of bills that went out on a Notice Paper weeks in advance—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —as priorities for debate. The lazy, lazy opposition were just so badly prepared and so lazy that they did not bother to make a contribution in this place yesterday.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: So, this place was not able to progress with government business, because we were obstructed by this irresponsible opposition, which would not allow the progress of government business to go ahead. It won't matter how many priority lists I put out—and we do that—because they are deliberately using the current situation to obstruct the democratic business of this place. It is an absolute disgrace.

I have indicated and put on the record in this place that it is an interim position only and that we are attempting to resolve this as soon as is possible. I have also indicated in this place that, in terms of this being a precedent, this is not anything new. This has happened in this place and, Henny Penny, the sky did not fall in.

Previously, as I have indicated in this place, the Hon. Paul Holloway was the sole minister in this place for some time and the sky did not fall in. The business of government went ahead. There were no problems that any member in this place, or any other place for that matter, could identify was a problem that resulted from that.

Similarly, Barbara Wiese was the sole minister for a period of time as well, and the sky did not fall in. Our democratic processes were upheld; the integrity of this chamber was achieved at all times. I will continue in exactly the same way. I am an experienced minister. I have been a minister now for six years across 13 or so portfolios. I am doing my job, but the job will not and cannot be done while we have an opposition that deliberately seeks to exploit the situation of this chamber and deliberately obstructs the government business of the day.

So, I call on them to do the right thing and to allow the business of this day to go ahead, as it should; to be prepared, as they should, as per the notices that go out, and not to waste taxpayers' money in this place.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Parnell has a supplementary to his Dorothy Dixer.

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