❓ Mr Birney questions Premier Gallop's commitment to a referendum on the Governor's appointment, contrasting it with the lack of a referendum on 'one vote, one value' legislation. Premier Gallop defends his position, citing constitutional requirements for the Governor's role and accusing the opposition of resisting electoral reform.
AnsweredQoN 288Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
APPOINTMENT OF GOVERNOR, REFERENDUM 288. Mr BIRNEY to the Premier: I draw the Premier’s attention to the public commitment he made last year to hold a referendum to decide who should have the power to appoint the Governor, as reported in The Western Australian on 20 April. How can the Premier justify this commitment when he steadfastly refuses to hold a referendum on the proposed one vote, one value legislation that will impose the most significant electoral change in this State’s modern history? Dr GALLOP
AnswerView source ↗
The Opposition is resisting the inevitable change that will come to Western Australia; that is, the establishment of a system in which every person in our State has an equal vote. Members of Parliament know that under our current Constitution, if any changes are to be made to the powers and position of the Governor of this State, those changes must go to a referendum. Obviously the member for Kalgoorlie has not briefed himself on that fundamental fact about the Constitution. That side of the House made no mention of a referendum before the election because they were so arrogant they thought they would be re-elected. Everyone in Western Australia, including those people on the electric light wires in the country areas and the galahs opposite who sit on the opposition benches, knows that we promised to introduce legislation for one vote, one value. I must confess to this House that we have failed to convince some members of the other place whose support we need to have a full one vote, one value system. That is unfortunate. We hope that the moderate position we propose will be passed by the Parliament. Before the member for Kalgoorlie asks a question, he should first research it. He will find that provision under the section 73 of the Constitution. I advise members of the Liberal Party that they are barking up the wrong tree. The real issue in Western Australia today is that everyone in the community is treated equally whether they live in Wyndham or Victoria Park. The way to guarantee that equality is to give them equal voting rights. The question has been fully answered and the time has come for the Parliament of Western Australia to pass legislation that at least introduces to the lower House the fundamental principle of equality for every voter in Western Australia.
APPOINTMENT OF GOVERNOR, REFERENDUM
I draw the Premier’s attention to the public commitment he made last year to hold a referendum to decide who should have the power to appoint the Governor, as reported in The Western Australian on 20 April. How can the Premier justify this commitment when he steadfastly refuses to hold a referendum on the proposed one vote, one value legislation that will impose the most significant electoral change in this State’s modern history? Dr GALLOP replied: The Opposition is resisting the inevitable change that will come to Western Australia; that is, the establishment of a system in which every person in our State has an equal vote. Members of Parliament know that under our current Constitution, if any changes are to be made to the powers and position of the Governor of this State, those changes must go to a referendum. Obviously the member for Kalgoorlie has not briefed himself on that fundamental fact about the Constitution. That side of the House made no mention of a referendum before the election because they were so arrogant they thought they would be re-elected. Everyone in Western Australia, including those people on the electric light wires in the country areas and the galahs opposite who sit on the opposition benches, knows that we promised to introduce legislation for one vote, one value. I must confess to this House that we have failed to convince some members of the other place whose support we need to have a full one vote, one value system. That is unfortunate. We hope that the moderate position we propose will be passed by the Parliament. Before the member for Kalgoorlie asks a question, he should first research it. He will find that provision under the section 73 of the Constitution. I advise members of the Liberal Party that they are barking up the wrong tree. The real issue in Western Australia today is that everyone in the community is treated equally whether they live in Wyndham or Victoria Park. The way to guarantee that equality is to give them equal voting rights. The question has been fully answered and the time has come for the Parliament of Western Australia to pass legislation that at least introduces to the lower House the fundamental principle of equality for every voter in Western Australia.
Dr GALLOP replied: The Opposition is resisting the inevitable change that will come to Western Australia; that is, the establishment of a system in which every person in our State has an equal vote. Members of Parliament know that under our current Constitution, if any changes are to be made to the powers and position of the Governor of this State, those changes must go to a referendum. Obviously the member for Kalgoorlie has not briefed himself on that fundamental fact about the Constitution. That side of the House made no mention of a referendum before the election because they were so arrogant they thought they would be re-elected. Everyone in Western Australia, including those people on the electric light wires in the country areas and the galahs opposite who sit on the opposition benches, knows that we promised to introduce legislation for one vote, one value. I must confess to this House that we have failed to convince some members of the other place whose support we need to have a full one vote, one value system. That is unfortunate. We hope that the moderate position we propose will be passed by the Parliament. Before the member for Kalgoorlie asks a question, he should first research it. He will find that provision under the section 73 of the Constitution. I advise members of the Liberal Party that they are barking up the wrong tree. The real issue in Western Australia today is that everyone in the community is treated equally whether they live in Wyndham or Victoria Park. The way to guarantee that equality is to give them equal voting rights. The question has been fully answered and the time has come for the Parliament of Western Australia to pass legislation that at least introduces to the lower House the fundamental principle of equality for every voter in Western Australia.
The Opposition is resisting the inevitable change that will come to Western Australia; that is, the establishment of a system in which every person in our State has an equal vote. Members of Parliament know that under our current Constitution, if any changes are to be made to the powers and position of the Governor of this State, those changes must go to a referendum. Obviously the member for Kalgoorlie has not briefed himself on that fundamental fact about the Constitution. That side of the House made no mention of a referendum before the election because they were so arrogant they thought they would be re-elected. Everyone in Western Australia, including those people on the electric light wires in the country areas and the galahs opposite who sit on the opposition benches, knows that we promised to introduce legislation for one vote, one value. I must confess to this House that we have failed to convince some members of the other place whose support we need to have a full one vote, one value system. That is unfortunate. We hope that the moderate position we propose will be passed by the Parliament. Before the member for Kalgoorlie asks a question, he should first research it. He will find that provision under the section 73 of the Constitution. I advise members of the Liberal Party that they are barking up the wrong tree. The real issue in Western Australia today is that everyone in the community is treated equally whether they live in Wyndham or Victoria Park. The way to guarantee that equality is to give them equal voting rights. The question has been fully answered and the time has come for the Parliament of Western Australia to pass legislation that at least introduces to the lower House the fundamental principle of equality for every voter in Western Australia.
That side of the House made no mention of a referendum before the election because they were so arrogant they thought they would be re-elected. Everyone in Western Australia, including those people on the electric light wires in the country areas and the galahs opposite who sit on the opposition benches, knows that we promised to introduce legislation for one vote, one value. I must confess to this House that we have failed to convince some members of the other place whose support we need to have a full one vote, one value system. That is unfortunate. We hope that the moderate position we propose will be passed by the Parliament. Before the member for Kalgoorlie asks a question, he should first research it. He will find that provision under the section 73 of the Constitution. I advise members of the Liberal Party that they are barking up the wrong tree. The real issue in Western Australia today is that everyone in the community is treated equally whether they live in Wyndham or Victoria Park. The way to guarantee that equality is to give them equal voting rights. The question has been fully answered and the time has come for the Parliament of Western Australia to pass legislation that at least introduces to the lower House the fundamental principle of equality for every voter in Western Australia.
Before the member for Kalgoorlie asks a question, he should first research it. He will find that provision under the section 73 of the Constitution. I advise members of the Liberal Party that they are barking up the wrong tree. The real issue in Western Australia today is that everyone in the community is treated equally whether they live in Wyndham or Victoria Park. The way to guarantee that equality is to give them equal voting rights. The question has been fully answered and the time has come for the Parliament of Western Australia to pass legislation that at least introduces to the lower House the fundamental principle of equality for every voter in Western Australia.
The question has been fully answered and the time has come for the Parliament of Western Australia to pass legislation that at least introduces to the lower House the fundamental principle of equality for every voter in Western Australia.
APPOINTMENT OF GOVERNOR, REFERENDUM
I draw the Premier’s attention to the public commitment he made last year to hold a referendum to decide who should have the power to appoint the Governor, as reported in The Western Australian on 20 April. How can the Premier justify this commitment when he steadfastly refuses to hold a referendum on the proposed one vote, one value legislation that will impose the most significant electoral change in this State’s modern history? Dr GALLOP replied: The Opposition is resisting the inevitable change that will come to Western Australia; that is, the establishment of a system in which every person in our State has an equal vote. Members of Parliament know that under our current Constitution, if any changes are to be made to the powers and position of the Governor of this State, those changes must go to a referendum. Obviously the member for Kalgoorlie has not briefed himself on that fundamental fact about the Constitution. That side of the House made no mention of a referendum before the election because they were so arrogant they thought they would be re-elected. Everyone in Western Australia, including those people on the electric light wires in the country areas and the galahs opposite who sit on the opposition benches, knows that we promised to introduce legislation for one vote, one value. I must confess to this House that we have failed to convince some members of the other place whose support we need to have a full one vote, one value system. That is unfortunate. We hope that the moderate position we propose will be passed by the Parliament. Before the member for Kalgoorlie asks a question, he should first research it. He will find that provision under the section 73 of the Constitution. I advise members of the Liberal Party that they are barking up the wrong tree. The real issue in Western Australia today is that everyone in the community is treated equally whether they live in Wyndham or Victoria Park. The way to guarantee that equality is to give them equal voting rights. The question has been fully answered and the time has come for the Parliament of Western Australia to pass legislation that at least introduces to the lower House the fundamental principle of equality for every voter in Western Australia.
Dr GALLOP replied: The Opposition is resisting the inevitable change that will come to Western Australia; that is, the establishment of a system in which every person in our State has an equal vote. Members of Parliament know that under our current Constitution, if any changes are to be made to the powers and position of the Governor of this State, those changes must go to a referendum. Obviously the member for Kalgoorlie has not briefed himself on that fundamental fact about the Constitution. That side of the House made no mention of a referendum before the election because they were so arrogant they thought they would be re-elected. Everyone in Western Australia, including those people on the electric light wires in the country areas and the galahs opposite who sit on the opposition benches, knows that we promised to introduce legislation for one vote, one value. I must confess to this House that we have failed to convince some members of the other place whose support we need to have a full one vote, one value system. That is unfortunate. We hope that the moderate position we propose will be passed by the Parliament. Before the member for Kalgoorlie asks a question, he should first research it. He will find that provision under the section 73 of the Constitution. I advise members of the Liberal Party that they are barking up the wrong tree. The real issue in Western Australia today is that everyone in the community is treated equally whether they live in Wyndham or Victoria Park. The way to guarantee that equality is to give them equal voting rights. The question has been fully answered and the time has come for the Parliament of Western Australia to pass legislation that at least introduces to the lower House the fundamental principle of equality for every voter in Western Australia.
The Opposition is resisting the inevitable change that will come to Western Australia; that is, the establishment of a system in which every person in our State has an equal vote. Members of Parliament know that under our current Constitution, if any changes are to be made to the powers and position of the Governor of this State, those changes must go to a referendum. Obviously the member for Kalgoorlie has not briefed himself on that fundamental fact about the Constitution. That side of the House made no mention of a referendum before the election because they were so arrogant they thought they would be re-elected. Everyone in Western Australia, including those people on the electric light wires in the country areas and the galahs opposite who sit on the opposition benches, knows that we promised to introduce legislation for one vote, one value. I must confess to this House that we have failed to convince some members of the other place whose support we need to have a full one vote, one value system. That is unfortunate. We hope that the moderate position we propose will be passed by the Parliament. Before the member for Kalgoorlie asks a question, he should first research it. He will find that provision under the section 73 of the Constitution. I advise members of the Liberal Party that they are barking up the wrong tree. The real issue in Western Australia today is that everyone in the community is treated equally whether they live in Wyndham or Victoria Park. The way to guarantee that equality is to give them equal voting rights. The question has been fully answered and the time has come for the Parliament of Western Australia to pass legislation that at least introduces to the lower House the fundamental principle of equality for every voter in Western Australia.
That side of the House made no mention of a referendum before the election because they were so arrogant they thought they would be re-elected. Everyone in Western Australia, including those people on the electric light wires in the country areas and the galahs opposite who sit on the opposition benches, knows that we promised to introduce legislation for one vote, one value. I must confess to this House that we have failed to convince some members of the other place whose support we need to have a full one vote, one value system. That is unfortunate. We hope that the moderate position we propose will be passed by the Parliament. Before the member for Kalgoorlie asks a question, he should first research it. He will find that provision under the section 73 of the Constitution. I advise members of the Liberal Party that they are barking up the wrong tree. The real issue in Western Australia today is that everyone in the community is treated equally whether they live in Wyndham or Victoria Park. The way to guarantee that equality is to give them equal voting rights. The question has been fully answered and the time has come for the Parliament of Western Australia to pass legislation that at least introduces to the lower House the fundamental principle of equality for every voter in Western Australia.
Before the member for Kalgoorlie asks a question, he should first research it. He will find that provision under the section 73 of the Constitution. I advise members of the Liberal Party that they are barking up the wrong tree. The real issue in Western Australia today is that everyone in the community is treated equally whether they live in Wyndham or Victoria Park. The way to guarantee that equality is to give them equal voting rights. The question has been fully answered and the time has come for the Parliament of Western Australia to pass legislation that at least introduces to the lower House the fundamental principle of equality for every voter in Western Australia.
The question has been fully answered and the time has come for the Parliament of Western Australia to pass legislation that at least introduces to the lower House the fundamental principle of equality for every voter in Western Australia.
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