Page 1376 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 24 March 2010

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responsibility for the Gaming Machine Act and, therefore, it is reasonable to ask the minister whether or not he is aware of other people in his employ or in the employ of the executive that may have a similar conflict of interest.

MR SPEAKER: One moment, members. There is no point of order. I believe the question goes to the conflict of interest and I think it is open to ask the minister.

MR BARR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Yes, I am aware of one member of my staff who is a member of the Labor Party administrative committee but there are no members of my staff who are in any way on the board of the Canberra Labor club.

MRS DUNNE: I have another supplementary, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mrs Dunne.

MRS DUNNE: Minister, will you be seeking to amend the Gaming Machine Act so as to allow the commission access to documents such as those in question?

MR BARR: That would be seeking an announcement of government policy, and I will not be outlining government policy in question time today.

Planning—building certifiers

MS LE COUTEUR: My question is to the Minister for Planning and concerns building certifiers. What auditing of building certifiers does the government currently do, and does this auditing involve physical inspection of the site and comparing the plans with the actual finished building?

MR BARR: I thank Ms Le Couteur for the question, as this is a matter that has been the subject of some public debate in the letters page of the Canberra Times in recent weeks and months, and quite possibly over a number of years.

In short, yes, the Planning and Land Authority does undertake auditing. There have been a number of examples over the years where the authority has undertaken audits and then undertaken subsequent action to see matters rectified. But it is an audit process. It is reported against, I understand, in the Planning and Land Authority’s annual report. There may indeed also be some reporting in the budget papers each year in terms of performance indicators for particular audits under the construction services branch which was newly established in last year’s budget.

I do not have, off the top of my head, the exact number of audits that are undertaken, but I am happy to provide the member with that information once I have received some accurate data from the Planning and Land Authority in relation to that matter.

MR SPEAKER: Ms Le Couteur, a supplementary question?

MS LE COUTEUR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Does the auditing also include EER ratings and does that auditing involve physical inspection of the site, comparing the plans with the finished building, as well as redoing the software EER rating?


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