Page 4440 - Week 10 - Thursday, 23 September 2010

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MR STANHOPE: I have taken on notice the question around the chief executive officer’s intention in making that statement and I think Mrs Dunne’s question goes to exactly the same issue. I have undertaken to obtain further information about what it was that the chief executive intended to convey and I am more than happy to provide that same answer to Mrs Dunne.

MR SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Coe?

MR COE: What role did the incorporation of ACTION into TAMS have in corporate systems, governance and capability being compromised?

MR STANHOPE: I thank Mr Coe for his interest in the issue but I give the same answer that I just gave to Mrs Dunne.

ACT (Self-Government) Act 1988

MS HUNTER: My question is to the Chief Minister, and it concerns the ACT (Self-Government) Act 1988. Chief Minister, on 17 June 2009, the Assembly passed a motion which proposed a joint ACT-commonwealth review of the self-government act and matters that should be included in the terms of reference for the review. The Assembly resolved at the time that you should take the matter up with the Prime Minister. In May this year I wrote to you for an update on progress, but I have yet to receive a response. Last week you indicated you had written to the Prime Minister about the review. Chief Minister, what action did you take after June 2009 to progress the review?

MR STANHOPE: Thank you, Ms Hunter, for the question, and it is an important question. I recall the matter. I did write to the Prime Minister. Indeed, Ms Hunter, I regret the tardiness of a response to you. I signed a letter to you, I think, perhaps last night—I imagine you will receive it today—outlining the steps that I did take, the fact that the Assembly’s motion on that particular issue—

Mr Hanson: May, June, July, August, September—five months for a reply.

MR STANHOPE: No, I wrote to the Prime Minister, Mr Hanson. Listen to the question instead of being childish. I wrote to you, Ms Hunter, outlining the response to that. Unfortunately, the commonwealth has not been inclined to engage. As I have indicated previously, I have written a number of times in recent years to successive governments. I have raised the issue directly with Prime Minister John Howard and with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. I have conveyed the sentiments of this place to the federal government. To date, neither of the previous successive federal governments has been inclined to pursue an inquiry into the self-government act as sought by me, as pursued by the Attorney-General, Simon Corbell, and as requested by this place.

I have, however, raised the issue again, as recently as the last week or so with the Prime Minister. Indeed, today, coincidentally, Ms Hunter, I have written to Mr Simon Crean, the minister for regional development, and raised the issue again with him as the minister who I believe will be responsible for pursuing the issue, indicating to


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