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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 6 Hansard (19 June) . . Page.. 1844 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

rather like the Commissioner for the Environment. That might be nice, but it is quite wrong to say in that context that the people who have statutory obligations are not independent merely because their pay cheque comes from the government service and they otherwise have a role to play within the structure of government.

Ms Horodny: They do not report directly to you.

MR HUMPHRIES: Ms Horodny says that they are not independent, because they do not report directly to me. I meet with the person who constitutes the Pollution Control Authority at least once a week and discuss with them issues to do with the environment and with their responsibilities as the Pollution Control Authority. That is about as direct as you can get in terms of direct reporting. That is not a statutory provision, but it happens in this Government and it probably happened in the previous Government as well. I do not accept that there is not enough independence there. My view is that the process is quite adequate. If Ms Horodny feels that it should be strengthened, I suggest that she consider legislation to deal with that and bring it forward to this place.

Mr Speaker, I thank members for their support for this legislation, and I will be very happy to convey to the commissioner that there has been such strong support from the members of the Assembly.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Detail Stage

Bill, by leave, taken as a whole

Proposed new clause 6A

MS HORODNY (4.03): I move:

Page 3, line 16, after clause 6, insert the following new clause:

"Insertion

6A. After section 19 of the Principal Act the following section is inserted:

Information to be included in Commissioner's annual report

`20. A report presented, or information provided, by the Commissioner under section 8 of the Annual Reports (Government Agencies) Act 1995 in respect of a period shall include particulars of -

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