Page 1455 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 26 September 1989
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administrative arrogance which I have never seen matched anywhere.
How about that? Perhaps he has had one bad run in with them, but he gives a lot of examples. He talks about the problems of talking with ACTEA, but he does not have those same problems with some other public authorities. I think members of the Assembly ought to have a careful look at that and the management of ACTEW should worry about this. After a number of questions from Mr Duby, Mr Wood and the chairman, Mr Winnel concludes:
I would bet my life that there would be no cost increase if we let that work to private contractors. You would be able to achieve a better result without any increase in cost but not if you leave it in the hands of ACTEA.
To be fair, I am open to hearing any responses which may be forthcoming from ACTEW and I hope we will get those responses. But there is surely a bottom line, or rather a bottom question, which is this: is ACTEW efficiently fulfilling its excellent aims, the purpose we have heard it state, and, if not, could ACTEW seriously consider a creative and cost-efficient partnership with private industry? Is ACTEW too bound by the kinds of protective practices related to the use of labour, inherited from the previous existences of the electricity body and the water body? Is there in ACTEW sufficient concern for entrepreneurial, business, cost-effective expertise? I think we must say there may be an area of exaggeration, but there is no doubt that Mr Winnel's plea for efficiency should be heard. As a member of the Assembly I need to investigate this matter with considerable care.
MR JENSEN (8.45): When it was handed down by the Minister I noted with interest this fine glossy publication produced by ACTEW. I suggest in some respects it is the sort of publication that one would almost expect to be handed out to students seeking information for a school project. However, let me not be too churlish in my comments on the need for government bodies to ensure that their annual reports provide necessary information at a reasonable cost.
Mrs Grassby: It is not an annual report, but a corporate plan.
MR JENSEN: Let us call it a corporate plan, Minister. It provides in this document an explanation, if you like, of what ACTEW is all about. As I said, it is the sort of document that one would expect to find in any high school children's project kitbag when they are looking at this matter. I suggest that we could look at the cost of such a production and maybe provide the same information without the charges that I am sure this particular document would incur. I just leave that for the Minister to consider and I am sure she will comment on that in her reply.
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