264 264(ASSEMBLY] vehicles by which he can raise issues: The Ad- irg$stuttue Anoemblg d ress-i n-Reply and pri vate me mbers' day. 1 do not imagine that the Address-in-Reply Thursday, 22 August 1985 will cease to be the main business of the day for some little time. Obviously there is not a great THE SPEAKER (Mr Harman) took the deal of legislation on the Notice Paper as yet. We have undertaken to give the Opposition Chair at 10.45 a.m., and read prayers. at least a week's adjouniment in order to be 'lble to study Bills. Thus I would imagine that the STANDING ORDER NO. 35 main business next week would be the Ad- dress-in-Reply, interrupted perhaps mainly by Suspension private members' business on Wednesday. MR TONKIN (Morley-Swan-Leader of the Thus, this change represents a more flexible House) [10.47 am.]: I move- dealing with the business of the House. It That Standing Order 35 be suspended means that if the Government has a lot of busi- insofar as it is necessary to enable any ness if can be dealt with. If as I suspect most of business to be dealt with before the Ad- the business before the House over the next few dress-in-Reply has been adopted. weeks is private members' business or debate on the Address-in-Reply we will, of course, deal A motion is moved in respect of particular Bills mainly with that. Thus, the motion with which it is desired to deal. When I came to would give us flexibility in handling the business of the this place we could not deal with as much House. Government business -as we do now before the Address-in-Reply was adopted. The con- I will continue to consult with the member servative Government of Sir Charles Court nominated by the Opposition to speak on its changed the Standing Orders to permit us to go behalf in these matters, the Deputy Leader of as far as we go now; namely, to take Bills to the Opposition. On Tuesday we resumed our their second reading stage. normal weekly meetings and I believe that is a good thing. On one occasion the Opposition moved 13 amendments to the Address-in-Reply. That Mr Thompson: Did he agree to th is? meant that the Address-in-Reply then went on Mr TONKIN. Well, the Deputy Leader of for months while other business of the House the Opposition did not say he agreed to it. I was held up. It is important to remember that certainly mentioned it on Tuesday morning while private members have a very important and he did not comment either way. function in this House, so too does the Govern- Mr Clarko: You are not trying to suggest that ment and its Ministers. This motion will pro- he agreed? vide that, as with other Parliaments in Australia, the Address-in-Reply will be dealt Mr TON KIN: No, I am saying that I with periodically depending on the pressure of mentioned it and no comment was made. I am Government business. not sure that the conversations I hold with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition on these mat- A big advantage will be given to the Oppo- ters should be discussed in this place. I do not sition by my motion. It will mean that as from know what the Deputy Leader of the Oppo- next Wednesday there will be private members' sition thinks of this matter. business. Members will be aware that normally there is no private members' business until the Mr Hassell: We are not suggesting that either, Address-in-Reply is adopted. That is fair but you did raise this point. enough because the Address-in-Reply in a sense Mr TONKIN: Yes, that we had met. I think is purely private members' business. The Op- it is good to meet regularly and obviously, as position as from next Wednesday will have pri- the member for Karrinyup has implied by his vate members' day when motions such as the interjection, if one of us thinks we have one of which the Leader of the Opposition has reached an understanding and that understand- already given notice may be dealt with. No ing is believed to have been broken the conver- doubt other private members will come to this sations we have will be aired in public. I have House and give notice of other motions with no doubt that if I come to this place thinking which they will want dealt on the Wednesday. we have an agreement and that agreement Thus private members' day will come to this breaks down or if the Deputy Leader of the House many weeks or even months earlier than Opposition is of the same opinion, the conver- has been the case. As a consequence, the Oppo- sations will be aired in this place. I suppose sition or any private member will have two that is inevitable. [Thursday, 22 August 1985]16 265 We believe the proposal will streamline the nothing more or less than an attempt to stifle procedures of the House. It will bring private debate in this House and in particular to over- members' business to the House quicker than ride the interests and the rights of private would otherwise occur. It is a more flexible use members in this Parliament. of the business of the House and it is in accord- ance with the way in which the Address-in- For the information of members of the Reply is treated in all other Parliaments House, the first the Opposition knew about this operating under the Westminster system, not matter was when it was published in The West just in Australia but elsewhere. In some places Australian on 20 August. That is the sort of it is provided that the Address-in-Reply will consultation we have had in relation to it. I come on at a certain time on a certain day, but read about it in the newspaper, as did the not necessarily every day. In other places the Leader of the Opposition and others. system is that certain subjects are addressed at certain times in the Address-in-Reply debate; We have covered these matters in debates in perhaps one day the topic nominated is edu- the Parliament previously. If the Parliament is cation, for example. to have a proper working arrangement, as I believe it has had in recent times, that is largely The Government has opted for the third achieved by arrangements made behind the system and this provides that the Address-in- Chair between the respective members who Reply can be moved into and out of business in have responsibility for the management of Par- the same way as other business of the House. liament. That system has worked very well. We believe it is the most flexible way of dealing with this situation because it means that if It seems to me that this move by the Govern- there is a dearth of Government business the ment is nothing more or less than a slap in the Address-in-Reply can be used. Alternatively, if face for the Opposition and the institution of there is a lot of Government business, the Ad- Parliament. It shows the Government's appar- dress-in-Reply will not be called upon so often. ent lack of respect for the system of Parliament It should be borne in mind that there is a safe- and in this case for the Opposition. The guard against private members not having any Government is saying that the Opposition can- time apart from their interest in certain Bills not be trusted or relied upon, yet when we and that is the fact that private members' busi- consider the facts it has not given any justifi- ness comes on next Wednesday, which is weeks cation whatsoever for this move. or months earlier than would normally be the case. Let us consider the performance of this Par- MR MacKINNON (Murdoch-Deputy liament since the Burke Labor Government Leader of the Opposition) [10.56 a.m.1: The was elected and we have been in Opposition. Opposition The Leader of the House rightly said that in will not be supporting the moti on. 1983 we moved many amendments to the Ad- In order that members understand quite clearly what we are about to do, I will read to the dress-in-Reply. During the Address-in-Reply Parliament Standing Order No. 35- debate at that time I I Bills passed through this house with the agreement of both sides. The Bills may be introduced and taken to the Leader of the House has not given one stage that the motion "That the Bill be example-and cannot because there is no now read a second time" has been moved example to give-of instances where the Oppo- before the Address-in-Reply to the sition frustrated the Government in its wish to Governor's Speech has been adopted, but get on with the business of the House while at no other business beyond that which is of a the same time protecting the rights of individ- formal character shall be entered upon. ual members to express their points of view Provided, however, that the introduction when they had the opportunity to do so within of Bills under this Standing Order shalt not the debate. prevent any discussion on the subject mat- ter of any such Bill during the Address-in- If we want to move 23 amendments, that is Reply debate.