Page 3897 - Week 10 - Thursday, 27 August 2009
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constructive and useful suggestion. The committee has picked that up. The committee’s recommendations provide a useful way forward here in delivering the external accountability that we are looking for without creating a significant administrative process. I commend that recommendation particularly in terms of finding a constructive way forward.
In conclusion, let me say that I think the committee has done a good job. It has been a very educational process. I look forward to resumption of the debate on this bill and particularly, in preparing for that, to discussing some of the amendments that I think we will need to make in order to ensure that the intent that is in the bill is delivered well, delivered clearly and provides a clear direction. I think that that is quite possible. The committee’s work has shown that we clearly can solve a few of the drafting issues that need to be worked through; I do not think there are any major hiccups there.
Finally, I would like to associate myself with the notes of thanks that both Mr Coe and Ms Burch have made towards the committee staff. I also thank my fellow committee members for what was a well-conducted inquiry.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (6.21): I thank the committee for the report. We look forward to digesting some of the recommendations. From a first glance at them, I think that there are a number of reasonable recommendations. I am really pleased with how this process is going. We have got a piece of legislation. As part of this process, we will be very pleased to consider sensible amendments which will improve, clarify and give us a workable piece of legislation which ensures that we do not see governments using taxpayer dollars for their own political purposes. That is the intent of this bill. That is very much what we set out to do.
We were very pleased for the bill to go to a committee. We hope that it can be improved through taking on some of the recommendations that have been endorsed by this committee.
This is a very important process. It is very important for accountability. It is very important to hold governments in check. What a bill like this will do is send a very clear message to government that it needs to be very careful in advertising. There are many forms of legitimate government advertising; they will not be affected by this legislation. But government departments will have to think twice about the necessity of certain advertising. It will not affect safety, health, important public notices or the ordinary course of government. What it will do is ensure that we do not see the kind of wasteful spending that we have seen in the past from this government. It will ensure that we do not see this government continuing to use taxpayer dollars for its own party political purposes.
I thank members of the committee. We look forward to going through the report and the recommendations, and then, hopefully, negotiating with all parties in this place for some sensible amendments which can see us pass this bill in the next month or so. I thank members again. We look forward to moving this process forward.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
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