Page 3795 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 8 November 1994
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Over the coming months the ACT Government will review the ACT 2000 Committee's report to identify priorities and, cooperatively with Project 2000, to develop plans to progress the initiatives in this report. As I have said repeatedly and as the Government has said - I understand that all members of this Assembly concur - the 2000 Olympics provide a great opportunity for sports development, and to allow community participation in sport, recreation and cultural activities not just up to the Olympics but also beyond 2000. Project 2000 will build upon the great work that has already been done. Project 2000 will lead the way in sport and recreation into the next century.
BROADCASTING OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS
Matter of Public Importance
MADAM SPEAKER: I have received a letter from Mr Moore proposing that a matter of public importance be submitted to the Assembly for discussion, namely:
The issue of broadcasting ACT Assembly proceedings.
MR MOORE (3.57): Madam Speaker, in speaking to this matter of public importance I am going to raise a series of points: First, the objectives; secondly, public interest; thirdly, improved news reporting; then improved standards for MLAs in the ACT compared with other parliaments; the history and significance of this proposal; and how should it happen. The first objective in seeking the broadcast of Assembly proceedings is to provide for the ABC, in particular, and any commercial broadcaster, all proceedings live, should they wish, or part thereof. The second objective, Madam Speaker, is to permit use of footage by the news media. When I say footage, Madam Speaker, I apply that term to the audio media as well as the visual media. In addressing those two objectives, I think it is important that when we talk about Assembly proceedings we ought not restrict ourselves to the proceedings that occur in this house; we should also be considering a vitally important part of this Assembly, and that is the committee processes and the committee proceedings.
Madam Speaker, I do not think any of us here would be so naive as to think that the media will have such interest in the Assembly over the next few years that they would want to record every single word and use every single word all the time. Nor do I think that there is such interest in the community that people would want to follow every word that is spoken in this chamber. Indeed, there are times - you may find this hard to believe, Madam Speaker - when people speaking here do not even have the attention of other members. I have been in here when there was not even a quorum in the house and still people have proceeded. Madam Speaker, I think that that needs to be said.
That leads me onto the issue of public interest. There are some issues in which the public takes a particular interest, and the recording of proceedings of the Assembly for public use would allow issues under discussion in the Assembly to be followed easily by the public. I think it would allow people better scrutiny of their representatives. I think, Madam Speaker, that sometimes when people come to this chamber they have some negative reactions, although I must say that a number of groups that have come in here recently and that I have been aware of have indicated to me that they are singularly
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