Page 1935 - Week 06 - Thursday, 2 May 1991
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PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE - STANDING COMMITTEE
Reference
MR DUBY (Minister for Finance and Urban Services) (3.20): Mr Speaker, pursuant to notice, I move:
That:
(1) the proposed 1991-92 New Capital Works Program be referred to the Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Infrastructure for inquiry and report by 12 July 1991;
(2) if the Assembly is not sitting when the Committee has completed its inquiry the Committee may send its report to the Speaker or, in the absence of the Speaker, to the Deputy Speaker who is authorised to give directions for its printing and circulation; and
(3) the foregoing provisions of this resolution have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders.
To ensure an even flow of works projects into the field, the Government has agreed that from 1 July 1991 those projects which are estimated to cost up to $1m and which are included in the proposed program can proceed to construction as soon as design work is completed. This will provide the construction industry with a more even spread of work across the financial year. It is necessary for the capital works program to be referred to the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Standing Committee and for that committee to report to this Assembly by 12 July 1991 so that the program can be included in the budget session.
MR MOORE (3.21): Mr Speaker, I think it is appropriate to take a few moments here to comment on this motion. I think it is a standard motion for referring matters to a standing committee, and it is a very important part of the business of this Assembly.
What concerns me is the Chief Minister's attitude to this particular committee. He made that attitude very clear today in question time in referring to the combined Planning, Development and Infrastructure and Conservation, Heritage and Environment standing committees. The issue applies particularly to this planning committee. If we are really interested in the committee system of the Assembly coping with this task, and coping with it appropriately, it is time to resolve the problem of the committees. As far back as late last year the Chief Minister indicated in this house, by way of interjection, that he would be doing something about those committees and this problem. Inasmuch as that has not been done, it would be reasonable to say that the house may have been inadvertently misled. I emphasise the word "inadvertently", Mr Speaker.
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