Page 1202 - Week 04 - Thursday, 4 May 2006
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the majority party in this place, to assert its majority and to say that a committee of importance in this place should be a chaired by a government member.
Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker, I seek your ruling on whether Mr Corbell’s amendment is in order. My understanding is that the issue of who appoints a chair is not a matter for the Assembly; it is a matter for the committee as constituted by this Assembly. I would like your ruling on whether Mr Corbell’s amendment is in order.
MR SPEAKER: You have granted him leave to move it.
Mrs Dunne: On that point, Mr Speaker: we granted leave before it was circulated and I therefore seek your ruling.
MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, if I can assist you, paragraph (5) of Mr Smyth’s motion reads:
the foregoing provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders.
Mr Smyth has exempted the terms of reference where they are inconsistent with the standing orders.
MR SPEAKER: Plainly, the Assembly is a superior body to the committees, and the committees are subject to the will of the Assembly.
Mrs Dunne: I take your point.
MR CORBELL: I will conclude on this point: the government asserts its majority in this place. It is the precedent in parliaments around the country that committees of significance are chaired by a member of the governing party, the majority party, in the parliament. It is not unique to this place, nor is it unique to unicameral or bicameral parliaments. Queensland and the Northern Territory have had majority government for years—decades even.
The only people who are being precious and defensive in this debate are members of the Liberal Party and the crossbench member, Dr Foskey. They are trying to assert a principle which is completely at odds with common parliamentary practice round this nation. They are trying to assert a principle which may have been entirely relevant at a time of minority government, but which is completely in the past in a majority government environment. I commend the amendment to members.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (12.20): What we have here is at least a better process. I congratulate the Manager of Government Business. At least he has a better process this time than we had last year, when we had conniving and offerings of preferment behind closed doors to ensure that Ms MacDonald became the chair of the committee. At least it is open and out there. We do have some return to open and accountable government, but it is a very small return to open and accountable government.
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