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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 2 Hansard (28 February) . . Page.. 434 ..


MR BERRY (continuing):

to take much debate. The motion arises out of question time, as far as I can make out, and I see no reason to put it off. It is only going to take a few minutes.

I think most members would like to have access to these documents before the next sitting week. If the government wants to prevent us from getting access to these documents before the next sitting week, I can see what its strategy is. I would rather see these documents before the next sitting week so that one can consider what one might do in this place as a result of seeing them. I see no reason to put it off. It would take about two minutes to deal with this.

MR KAINE (5.43): Mr Speaker, I support the suspension of standing orders in this case because this matter flows from a question that was asked at question time today. Ms Tucker obviously feels that she did not get an appropriate response and this action flows from that.

I do not understand why the government would want to object to this. I do not know whether it is their contention that this organisation is not accountable to this place. If that is their contention they are wrong because the CTEC spends $12 million of public money every year and it is appropriated in the budget. It is an organisation which is accountable and which the members of this place are entitled to review to ensure that public money is being properly spent. I do not understand the government's objection, or why they simply do not comply with the requirement and get the matter over and done with.

Question resolved in the affirmative, with the concurrence of an absolute majority.

Motion

MS TUCKER (5.45): I move the revised motion circulated in my name which reads as follows:

That this Assembly requires:

(1) the Minister to provide to the Clerk for inspection only by Members all documents relating to the decision by the Canberra Tourism and Events Corporation (CTEC) to relocate its offices to the Canberra Airport, including:

(a) documents relating to the tender and evaluation process undertaken by CTEC:

(b) any consultants' reports commissioned by CTEC;

(c) the minutes of both the sub-committee and the CTEC Board meetings which dealt with this matter

by close of business, Thursday 1 March 2001;

(2) the documents to be returned by the Clerk to the Minister 10 working days after receipt.

As has already been covered in the debate on the motion for the suspension of standing orders, I have moved this motion because I was not happy with the answer from the minister. It is correct that I have talked to him since then and I have negotiated this revised version of a motion which will ensure that, if there is any commercial-in-confidence information, members can be sensitive to that. These papers will go to the Clerk so that members can inspect them if they so desire.


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