Page 3003 - Week 08 - Thursday, 25 June 2009
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dealings with the community and the community sector. First and foremost, as a demonstration of the way this government engages with the community and holds itself accountable to the community has been its extensive work setting a planning framework and vision for the ACT’s future. In preparing the Canberra plan and its related plans, the Canberra social plan, the spatial plan and the economic plan, as well as preparing the 2008 update to the Canberra plan, the government spoke extensively with Canberrans and interest groups within the community. The renewal of the Canberra plan promoted a wider initiative to more firmly locate this key strategic document, as well as other government and portfolio plans, in an across-government performance and accountability framework.
This accountability in government initiative was funded in the 2008-09 budget, with the aim to, among other things, strengthen the government’s capacity to deliver policies and service delivery outcomes and promote agency accountability and performance. A broader model of citizen-centred governance emerged very quickly from the initial focus to build in the desired community perspective and engagement into government systems and processes. This model covered three main elements of the government activity: priority and direction setting, service frameworks and delivery and accountability. Funding of $398,000 in 2009-10 for the reaching out to the community initiative will support stronger across-government coordination of our engagement activities, as well as a broader Canberra community conversation on the big picture issues that affect Canberra’s future. Last year the government announced it would consult with the community on preferred engagement methods and techniques. This work is underway and will inform the approach to the broader conversation on big picture issues.
Madam Assistant Speaker, the ACT government is also committed to remaining open and accountable through reform of its FOI legislation. On 11 February 2009 the first part of this reform process occurred with the removal of the provision of the FOI Act that allowed for the issuing of conclusive certificates, except where a certificate provides for national security information held by the territory. The government recognises that a broader and more comprehensive review of the FOI Act is needed, and on 2 April 2009 the Assembly agreed that the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety will conduct an inquiry into the Freedom of Information Act. The ACT’s review of the ACT FOI Act will build on recent reviews of the commonwealth and Queensland’s FOI acts. These examples clearly highlight that my government is committed to the highest standards of openness, honesty and accountability in the governance of the ACT.
The government recognises and values the role of the Legislative Assembly and its committees in holding the executive accountable for its actions and it similarly places great importance on engaging the community in its decision-making processes. One of the key obligations of any ACT government is to protect, defend and advance the ACT’s interests. While there are times when it is appropriate and necessary to engage the community to seek their views and draw on their experiences and ideas, there are equally times when it is genuinely in the public interest, in the interests of the ACT as a whole, that the government conduct its decision making and its negotiations leading to those decisions in private. Open and accountable government is a feature of all Australian jurisdictions and in a small jurisdiction like the ACT, with a small
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