Page 2188 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 22 June 2010
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Derek Volker and Crispin Hull enjoyed all of the qualifications that one would expect. I have absolutely no suspicion or reason to believe that either of them is partisan in any way.
Even if they did have a particular political position or philosophical ideology—we all vote and we all do, but I do not know what it is—they are thorough and utter professionals. You only have to go to the extensive and impressive CVs, their records of achievement and independence.
I will just go very briefly to some of Mr Volker’s previous work to reinforce the point. He headed the commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Training for three years. He headed the Department of Social Security for six years and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs for five years. He was chairman and then president of the Repatriation Commission and deputy secretary to the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs. He has extensive international experience as a member of the executive board of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and chairman of the ILO committee on the application of conventions and recommendations.
He is a member of the OECD manpower and social affairs committee; chairman of the government relations group in one of Australia’s largest and most senior and most respected legal firms, Corrs Chambers Westgarth; a principal consultant of Corrs Solutions; a private consultant for a number of Australian and international companies; and director of several companies, including New Wallsend Coal Pty Ltd.
He is on the board of Australian Venture Capital, was chair of the ACT Skills Commission, chair of the ACT business inventive scheme panel, chair of the Australian Capital Tourism Corporation, chair of the ACT Education Services Export Council, member of the Canberra Partnership Board, member of the Calvary Hospital Community Advisory Council, chairman of Technical Aid to the Disabled (ACT), chairman of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation walk to cure diabetes committee, fellow of the Australian Institute of Public Administration and an Officer of the Order of Australia.
He fits absolutely to a tee Mr Seselja’s criteria: independent, qualified and appropriate. Indeed, I do not know of any more patently, objectively and obviously independent, qualified and appropriate candidate. I submit his name to the Assembly consistent with the legislation. I urge members, in order to ensure that this legislation is implemented, becomes operational, as the government has sought to do, to ensure that it is implemented in the spirit that I hope all members of this place are supportive of when it was voted on and became the law of the territory, and that we do not reduce it to some tawdry, political, point-scoring exercise.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Hargreaves): The debate is now concluded. Section 12(4) of the Government Agencies (Campaign Advertising) Act 2009 requires that the appointment of the reviewer be passed by a two-thirds majority of the Assembly.
Question put:
That Mr Stanhope’s motion be agreed to.
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