Page 2386 - Week 11 - Thursday, 2 November 1989

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I do not think I have any further comments at this stage, Mr Speaker. Again, as other members have said, I do not agree with all the recommendations, but I believe that, in the time we had, it was an effective exercise and I am quite sure that those of us who had particular areas of concern were well able to get the right answers. Sometimes it took a little longer. It was a pity, as Mr Collaery has already mentioned, that we were not able to have those answers straightaway, but I do think that in the end we were adequately provided with the answers to the questions that we asked.

MS MAHER (11.32): I would just like to make a short statement on the Estimates Committee. I personally found it a worthwhile exercise and a learning process. It gave me an insight into how the Government and its departments are run. I accept that the committee, the Government and all staff of the departments were going through a learning process, and I hope that the committee's recommendations are implemented and that next year the budget and the estimates process run more smoothly.

I agree with the majority of the recommendations. As my colleague Mr Duby has said, we have put in a dissenting report with regard to the funding of asbestos. I believe that the Commonwealth Government continued to put asbestos into homes long after it had been banned in other States. Therefore, I feel that the Commonwealth Government should pay for the removal of that asbestos.

Finally, Mr Speaker, I would just like to say thanks to all those concerned and a special thanks to the chairman who, as stated previously, put a lot of time and effort into this committee.

MR MOORE (11.34): I would also like to start my comments today by thanking the chairman, who worked so very hard to ensure that the committee worked very smoothly, particularly in some of the more difficult situations when we were very enthusiastic about asking some questions. I felt that the committee was controlled in an appropriate and responsible way. I would particularly like to extend my thanks to the efforts put in by the secretary and staff.

I would like to take this opportunity to concur with Carmel Maher in her comments about the learning process. She talked about the learning process for the Government and the bureaucracy, but, more than anything, I think the learning process was for members of the Assembly, as she mentioned it was for herself. I am sure it extended to each one of us and certainly it applied very much to me. I have not spent a great deal of time dealing with bureaucracy. The bureaucracy in schools is very limited and we tend to do our own things within our own classrooms. I found that particular aspect of the process very helpful in understanding just how the various systems work. I am now able to move with a little more ease in dealing with the bureaucracy.


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