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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 05 Hansard (Friday, 14 May 2004) . . Page.. 2037 ..

We were almost like lambs to the slaughter—“It’s all right, we’ll use you to get what we have to; we’ll tell you what we want you to know; we want a few extra million dollars, three times what we originally asked for; and then we’re going to work with the media,” apparently just to cover all the bases.

Members interjecting—

MR SPEAKER: Order, members! Mrs Cross has the floor.

MRS CROSS: As many members have said in the past, Mr Speaker, I can count; I know that we don’t have the numbers to get the recommendation through regarding the $800,000 for Phillip oval. But I would urge the government—and you are not above being asked to do this, especially you, Chief Minister—if you’re going to go to an election and say you’re being open, accountable and transparent, and people vote for you on that premise, don’t mislead people that vote for you and say, “Transparent, open and accountable is what we say but not what we do.”

Mr Speaker, the other recommendation that we felt was very important was recommendation No 6—and this of course is related to the appropriation:

The Government post to a website, all transcripts of the coronial inquiry of the 2003 Bushfires immediately, as they become available.

I would think that that is not only in the community’s interest, it is in the public interest, and it is something that we would urge the Assembly to support. I think nothing needs to be said further on that one.

I’ll end on this, Mr Speaker, recommendation 13. The basis for this was a letter, and partly an attitude of certain ministers—not most; most of the ministers were fine. Recommendation 13 states:

Prior to the commencement of any or all Estimates committee hearings, Ministers should remember their responsibilities and obligations in the conduct of hearings, and if necessary, refresh their knowledge of Standing Orders; and further understand the difference between the Treasurer’s advance and a supplementary appropriation.

That related to a very arrogant letter we received from Minister Bill Wood lecturing us on did we really know the difference. Someone mentioned it was urgent. Was it urgent funding? It goes back to this: we would like to know by August exactly what the government is going to spend of this appropriation to see if in fact some of these funds were needed before 30 June.

MS DUNDAS (9.27): Mr Speaker, I actually commend the government for bringing this appropriation bill before the Assembly so that this expenditure can be examined and we can have an estimates process and look at each of the line items in detail, rather than just seeing fit to expend Treasurer’s Advance for these items. I welcome this move by the government.

This bill contains a number of items that the government had characterised as urgent, most particularly the child protection money. However, we know that, between the idea of Treasurer’s Advance being used for the child protection money and the actual

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