Page 4655 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 7 December 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
. act as a director of a company or incorporated society, otherwise than in accordance with the requirements of the duties of the officer's office or otherwise on behalf of the Territory; or
. accept or engage in any remunerative employment other than in connection with the duties of their office or offices under the Territory.
Some of the examples of a second job include a second ACT government position, a part-time job done after working hours - - -
Mr Kaine: I raise a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Is the member suggesting that the members of this Assembly are subject to the Public Sector Management Act? Is that what this is all about? I did not know that we were employed under the provisions of the Public Sector Management Act. Perhaps the member could clarify the relevance of what he is reading, at great length, from the standards that apply to public servants.
MR BERRY: It will come to you in time, Mr Kaine.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are coming to that, are you, Mr Berry? Very well.
MR BERRY: Mr Deputy Speaker, it is entirely relevant and it is quite stupid for the member to rise and to raise it as a point of order. This is where we come to it. It says:
. any other profitable activity outside official duties ...
and so on. We have a set of standards that we require of our public servants and, all of a sudden, the shrinking violets, the Liberals, are running away from a similar standard - one not as strenuous - which might apply here in the Assembly for all of its members.
Let us have a look at some of the history of this place and the Liberals, for example. We had the very prominent Liberal Speaker, Mr Prowse, the fluoride specialist. Mr Prowse was a great advocate for the removal of fluoride from the ACT's water supply. He continually beat that drum in this Assembly and publicised himself around the issue. Guess what his business was? Selling water filters. What a conflict of interest! That went on and the Liberals did not even blush about it because they thought it was all right for somebody to be in here promoting their business, selling their water filters, and being paid as a politician at the same time. They thought that was fine. In the Second Assembly we had the office furniture debates - who had got the contract and who had not got the contract. Where did most of these questions come from? Mr Westende. What was Mr Westende's business? He was a furniture manufacturer. Those questions were asked.
Now, this morning, we hear the Liberals trying to justify the part-time employment of one of their members as a pharmacist. I have a great deal of regard for pharmacists. They provide a great deal of community support; but, at the same time, when I vote for somebody to come into the Assembly, I expect them to perform their duties full time.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .