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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 2 Hansard (2 March) . . Page.. 492 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

a fortnight. With great respect, if Ms Tucker was suggesting that on the floor of the Assembly without asking whether that was the Government's intention, that is mischievous.

Mr Speaker, our position is quite clear. This is a major piece of legislation deserving, I think, a little more credit than Ms Tucker has cared to give us for it. I think it ought to be examined critically by an Assembly committee, so we support the motion that has been moved by Ms Tucker.

MR CORBELL (11.25): Mr Speaker, the Labor Party also will be supporting proposals to refer this matter to the committee. This is a very important piece of legislation. It provides a new uniform regulatory framework for utilities providing essential services to the people of Canberra. As Ms Tucker rightly points out, there is a range of issues which need to be considered by the committee before the establishment of this new regulatory regime. However, the Labor Party is concerned that the referral proposed by Ms Tucker to the Urban Services Committee will simply result in other important work of that committee being pushed down the list.

The Urban Services Committee, as many members will know, is one of the busiest committees of the Assembly and it covers a wide range of work, much of which is driven by referrals from the Government in relation to draft variations to the Territory Plan. If members look at the work of the committee outlined in the notice paper they will see that the committee is already up to 41 reports and it has approximately a dozen inquiries on its books yet to be reported on. That is a considerable workload for the committee and, more importantly, a considerable workload for the committee secretary.

Mr Speaker, for those reasons the Labor Party will be moving an amendment. I foreshadow an amendment to Ms Tucker's motion to establish a select committee to examine this Bill. I think the reasons for this are straightforward. First of all, it is important that the Bill is dealt with in a prompt and effective manner with close consideration of the important issues highlighted in it. Secondly, Mr Speaker, it is important to ensure that the work undertaken by other standing committees of this place is not unduly compromised, and it will be if this Bill is given some priority over other work of the Urban Services Committee. The establishment of a select committee will provide for the Bill to be closely considered in a timetable acceptable to all members of this place and ensure that a new regulatory regime is in place as soon as possible.

Mr Speaker, I foreshadow that I will be moving a motion to establish a select committee on utilities to examine the Utilities Bill 2000 and the Utilities (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2000. The committee will be composed of one member nominated by the Government, one member nominated by the Opposition, and one member nominated by either the Independent members or the ACT Greens. I propose, Mr Speaker, that the committee report by the first sitting date of June 2000. This will provide for appropriate passage of the Bill, we would hope, before the conclusion of the financial year, and that, I think, is a sensible timeframe. Further, Mr Speaker, it will allow for that important process of public consultation on the Bill by an Assembly committee to take place without compromising the work of the Standing Committee on Urban Services which, as I previously indicated, already deals with a large number of

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