Kaine was a member of the ACT House of Assembly as a member for Fraser from 1975 to 1977, and again from 1985 until that House was dissolved. He was elected to the first Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly at the 1989 general election and, at the first sitting of the Assembly, became the first Leader of the Opposition of the ACT, leading the Liberal Party. The life of the first Assembly was characterised by a hung parliament and significant political instability. Confidence was waning in the minority Follett Labor government. On 5 December 1989, Bernard Collaery, leader of the Residents Rally group (with four members in the Assembly) moved the following motion in the Assembly: