Page 2696 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
day and underpin our representative democracy deserve special recognition and protection.
On the specifics of the expenditure, I would like to say that the transition of the library into the Assembly budget to ensure that we control our own resources and recognise the particular nature of the library service that is required by members of parliament is a positive step.
Ms Barrett indicated in her evidence to the estimates committee that an access and use policy has been developed that will include a list of the types of services the library will provide and is awaiting approval. Also, a number of the library subscription services are being reviewed, with the possibility of changes to ensure that the library has available the most relevant information for members. These appear to be very positive steps forward, and I know that all the Greens members and their staff are very keen to be involved and give feedback on the selection of any new services.
The Assembly has undertaken a range of very positive environmental initiatives that have produced some very pleasing results. We are already a more energy-efficient building, and I understand there are still a number of initiatives to be implemented.
The work in the Assembly program is the other new initiative of particular note. The Greens, of course, support this funding and I hope that, throughout the years, a number of departmental staff will be able to participate and both contribute to and learn from the Assembly. We look forward to updates as the program is implemented. The Greens are pleased to support this part of the appropriation.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella) (12.17): I will speak very briefly. As was my wont when I was a minister in this place, I always liked to express my appreciation of those officers who actually did the work to compile the budgets put forward in this chamber. I would like to express my appreciation to the Clerk, Mr Max Kiermaier, Ian Duckworth and all of the troops in the support area supporting your good self. Just to put it on the record, Mr Speaker, you are the minister responsible for the Legislative Assembly’s budget. The administration and procedure committee merely advises you. I am very pleased to see that you have taken our sage advice.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (12.18): I would also like briefly to thank the staff of the Legislative Assembly, not just those who were particularly involved in the estimates process—of course they do a significant amount of work and I thank each and every one of them for that—but also the staff generally for the service that they provide to Assembly members under, it must be said, some resource constraints that we are all aware of. But that is as it is. We know that they do work very hard to give us the best service possible.
Mr Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity now in this cognate debate to look at some of what the government have had to say in their response to the report of the Select Committee on Estimates. We have not had a chance to go through it all. It will not take long to go through the response because there is not much to it. I note that Ms Le Couteur was lamenting, when we delivered our comprehensive, detailed, rigorous dissenting report, that she was concerned that there would not be a response
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video