Page 414 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 21 March 2023
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On 2 December 2020 the Assembly passed a motion establishing general purpose standing committees for the 10th Assembly. As recommended by the Ninth Assembly Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure, this motion specified that “referred expenditure proposals contained in the 2021-2022 appropriation bills for the territory and any revenue estimates proposed by the government in the 2021-2022 budget stand referred to the relevant standing committee for inquiry and report”.
Following the referral to standing committees, the Assembly passed a motion on 3 June 2021 requesting that the committee evaluate the trial of the 2021-2022 appropriation bills inquiries by standing committees. The committee review would ascertain whether or not a model of referral to standing committees offered any benefits over the long-established select committee process.
On 10 February 2022 a motion was moved by Ms Lawder to establish a select committee on estimates 2022-2023. This motion was referred to the committee for consideration by the March 2022 sittings.
The committee made a 246A statement on 22 March 2022 advising that they had considered this motion and recommended that a select committee be established to examine the 2022-2023 appropriation bills. This would enable the committee to evaluate whether examination of the budget estimates works better through standing committees or a select committee, as both processes will have been undertaken during the 10th Assembly.
The committee invited submissions for the inquiry, with a closing date of 10 February 2023, and submissions were received from each of the political parties represented in the Assembly.
At its meeting on 16 February 2023, the committee considered the submissions received and the two budget estimates inquiries conducted through the standing and select committee processes of this Assembly. The committee recommends a select committee process for all future budget estimates inquiries. The committee is of the view that a select committee provides for:
• integrated scrutiny of the budget across portfolio areas;
• consistency with Latimer House principles with an opposition member chairing the committee that scrutinises the budget;
• easier management of community day, a valuable component of estimates, through just one committee secretariat; and
• reduced question duplication that was encountered through the standing committee process.
Justice and Community Safety—Standing Committee
Statement by chair
MR CAIN (Ginninderra) (11.13): Pursuant to standing order 246A, I wish to make a statement on behalf of the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety.
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