Page 2397 - Week 11 - Thursday, 2 November 1989

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MR KAINE: I am most interested, Mr Speaker, in your assertion that the members of the Assembly, other than those in the Government, have no right of access to the parliamentary draftsmen. If that is the case, perhaps you could investigate and advise the other members of the Assembly how we are to get legislation drafted if we have no right of access to this officer and his office. Where does the money come from if we have to engage people outside of the staff of this Assembly or of the ACT Administration to draft such legislation? I would appreciate it if you would clarify that matter for us.

MR SPEAKER: I will take that on notice.

Amendment agreed to.

Clauses 10 to 16, by leave, taken together, and agreed to.

Clause 17 (Terms and conditions of employment)

MR MOORE (12.15): I move:

Page 8, line 7, add at the end the following subclause -

"(4) A determination under subsection (2) shall be tabled in the Legislative Assembly on the first sitting day after the date of that determination.".

The reason for this amendment is that the Chief Minister has the power to vary the conditions of employment of not only classes of staff but also of staff of a specific member. I can foresee circumstances where that may occur. I can also foresee circumstances in which we might not have this particular Chief Minister but we might have somebody who was involved in a personality battle of some kind and who decided to change the conditions of staff of a specific member. My amendment just means that, should the Chief Minister decide that it is necessary to do that, then that would be clear to all members, and the Assembly would be involved in a decision of that nature.

MR JENSEN (12.16): I rise very briefly to indicate that the Rally will support this amendment moved by Mr Moore, for the same reasons that he has outlined. We do have some concern, as Mr Moore does, about the potential for the possible abuse of that matter within the legislation. We seek to have that clarified in order to ensure that that could not happen and that the situation that Mr Moore envisaged could not occur in the future.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, agreed to.

Clauses 18 and 19, by leave, taken together, and agreed to.

Clause 20 (Annual report)


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