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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 6 Hansard (18 June) . . Page.. 2025 ..

MR SPEAKER

If the Assembly does establish a three-member committee and it is to comply with standing order 221, which is about membership of the committee being from all parties represented in the Assembly, it may be necessary to place a minister on the committee. That is an issue for members to consider.

There are precedents for a minister being a member of a privileges committee in the House of Representatives. A committee that did not have a member of a government party would not be in accordance with standing order 221, and could attract criticism, in that a committee of two members was not a process that was conducted in a thorough and correct manner. I raise those issues for consideration.

MR WOOD (Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, Minister for Urban Services, Minister for the Arts and Heritage and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (3.34): I move:

That:

(1) pursuant to standing order 71, a Select Committee on Privileges be appointed to examine whether the unauthorised dissemination of information on ABC Radio relating to Report No 5 of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the Report into the Appropriation Bill 2003-2004 of the Select Committee on Estimates 2003-2004 was a breach of privilege and whether a contempt of the Legislative Assembly was committed;

(2) the Committee be composed of:

(a) one Member to be nominated by the Government;

(b) one Member to be nominated by the Opposition;

(c) one Member to be nominated by a Member of the ACT Greens, the Australian Democrats or the Independent Member

to be notified in writing to the Speaker prior to the Assembly adjourning on that sitting day;

(3) the Committee report by 20 August 2003.

That pursuant to standing order 71, a Select Committee on Privileges be appointed to examine whether the unauthorised dissemination of information on ABC Radio relating to report 5 of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the report into the Appropriation Bill of 2003/04 of the Select Committee on Estimates 2003/'4 was breach of privilege and whether a contempt of the Legislative Assembly was committed.

I move that the committee be composed of one member nominated by the government, one nominated by the opposition and one member to be nominated by the ACT Greens, the Australian Democrats or the independent member, to be notified in writing to the Speaker prior to the Assembly adjourning today. The committee should report by 20 August.

And I move that and I'll I will speak speak briefly to the motion. it.

Mr Speaker, aAt 6.30 am on 17 June, the ABC newsreader said this, and I quote from the Rehame transcript:.

NEWSREADER:

"The ACT Government is expected to come under into criticism in two major Legislative Assembly reports released today.

James Gruber reports.

REPORTER:

Going through the reports, the reporter, tThe eEstimates cCommittee report is likely to query Ministers Bill Wood and Simon Corbell, refusing to answer their questions.

A further query will would be directed at the Health Department over a leaked email which advised departmental officers on how to avoid answering question of Budget eEstimates."

At 7.12 am it went on further, not so much a news report but Chris Uhllmann, presenter of the morning program, said to David Kilby:, Chris Ullman,

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