Page 156 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 17 February 1993
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Mr Kaine: Why don't you appoint another chairman? You want to get rid of the board as you did in 1989.
MR BERRY: Mr Kaine says, "Why don't you appoint another chairman?". I will tell you why: I would not be able to get anybody of calibre to come forward to do that job. There is nobody that I would accept to do it, and there is nobody that I would ask to do it and to be harassed by you lot.
Mrs Carnell presented some figures. Those estimates were made in good faith, I expect. They have not been fudged. They have not been framed on the basis of a Hewson government, because the wise people on my board surely know that Canberra people and Australian people, given time, will not vote for these people. The figures have been presented to you in good faith. They outline the predictions which have been approved by the board, and they stand.
Asbestos Removal Program
MR MOORE: Madam Speaker, my question is directed to Mr Connolly and also has to do with investigations. In January, after some public disquiet, Minister, you announced an investigation to be carried out by the Auditor-General into the asbestos removal program. Can you please inform the Assembly what the terms of reference provided to the Auditor-General were? Will the Auditor-General report back to the Assembly, and what reporting date was the Auditor-General given?
MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker, members would understand that the Auditor-General is an independent office-holder and exercises significant discretion as to what he will or will not investigate. When the issue of asbestos contracts was being agitated and allegations were being made that the financial management of that program was greatly amiss and that the ACT was paying far more than it should for work being done - that is the nub of your allegations - I asked whether the Auditor-General would conduct an inquiry into that. The Auditor-General indicated that he would.
Unlike the practice when you set up an inquiry or a royal commission or send something off to an Assembly committee, you do not give the Auditor-General terms of reference which he is locked into. If the Auditor-General thinks it is appropriate to look at a matter, the Auditor-General will exercise his or her discretion and do that. That is what has occurred. I have no control over the conduct of that inquiry. I have no ability to say to the Auditor-General, nor would I want to say to the Auditor-General, "Look at this but do not look at that". The Auditor-General is, I understand, conducting a thorough review of that program. I know that he has been interviewing a very large number of officers of my department, ranging from the most senior to the most junior. I take it from that that the inquiry is well under way. When he reports he will report in the ordinary way - that is, to this Assembly.
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