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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 10 Hansard (30 August) . . Page.. 3738 ..

Mr Quinlan: I think there were three, actually. Everybody jumped on that bandwagon.

MR MOORE: Mr Quinlan indicates that there were three. There was an attempt to put the three together. I think Mr Osborne was the first to introduce a bill, then I announced my piece of legislation and Mr Stanhope introduced a bill as well.

Mr Speaker, it is appropriate that that legislation should have had the sort of consideration that has been given by the committee. I have to say that I welcome that consideration because, from a quick scan of the report, I think the recommendations will enhance the openness of government, notwithstanding that this is something that most governments would consider a total anathema.

Mr Speaker, I am not aware of the legislation causing any difficulty whatsoever since it has been in place. My view is that it will never cause any difficulty. It is appropriate that this Assembly should have taken yet another step towards an even more open form of government.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Public accounts committee report No 29

MR QUINLAN (11.24): I present the following report:

Finance and Public Administration-Standing Committee (incorporating the Public Accounts Committee)-Public Accounts Committee Report No 29-Review of the Auditor-General's Report No 4, Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001, Peer Based Drug Support Services Tender-1998, dated 27 August 2001, together with a copy of the extracts of the minutes of proceedings.

I move:

That the report be noted.

In the overall context, I think this audit report gives the administration of this particular tender a tick. The committee observes that it appears the Auditor found that procedures were generally adhered to, that a conflict of interest was recognised and that the department and the officer involved took appropriate action. Unfortunately, there is no documentation to support the finding that appropriate action was taken. Nevertheless, this is a glimmer of light in terms of adherence to due process, particularly with something as sensitive as this particular tender.

It appears that there is a need to update the guidelines and procedures, some of which were out of date, used out-of-date titles and had not kept up with the administrative arrangements of the day. Mr Speaker, it is with extreme pleasure that I present this report which communicates the Auditor-General's positive assessment of the procedures. I commend the report to the Assembly.

MR MOORE (Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services) (11.26): Mr Speaker, I would like to speak briefly to this report. The officer who was involved in this, and who was somewhat pilloried by the media, has since left the department of

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