Page 2991 - Week 07 - Thursday, 30 June 2011
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after that. In February-March, I was certainly reading on the subject, as too I presume were my colleagues. We put out a request for submissions.
The committee has met on at least three occasions but maybe more. But I will check this and come back and provide further information. I cannot remember exactly but on three or four occasions there were hearings. There has been a range of material that we have considered. We finally closed submissions at the end of July last year.
As things are progressing on that, the committee has other responsibilities. It also has responsibilities in its other guise as the standing committee for the scrutiny of bills and subordinate legislation. The committee has reported on and is inquiring into a range of things. It is currently inquiring into prostitution, which we have to report on by the end of the year, and the Electoral Act, which we have to report on by the end of September, I think. This is another ongoing inquiry. We finished an ongoing inquiry only this week.
My secretary provided me with a second chair’s draft, I think earlier this week, after I had received an initial draft about a month ago. I have undertaken, in discussions with my committee secretary, to try to finalise that draft by the end of next week so that it can be circulated to members so that we can begin the discussion on the final report.
MR SPEAKER: Dr Bourke, a supplementary question?
DR BOURKE: I have a supplementary question, thank you, Mr Speaker. Can the chair explain why it has taken exactly 12 months since the closing date for submissions to consider just 11 submissions? Do you, Mrs Dunne, consider that you have given this inquiry the priority it deserves?
MRS DUNNE: I do draw the member’s attention and the Assembly’s attention to the fact that both Dr Bourke in those comments and Mr Corbell in the comments he made today reflect upon not my work but the work of the Assembly and the Assembly’s committees and directly on the work of Mr Hargreaves and Ms Hunter as well.
Ms Hunter, Mr Hargreaves and I work very hard on a range of inquiries. If Dr Bourke had listened, there are a number of extensive and ongoing inquiries for which we have held a number of public hearings, not just in relation to campaign finance reform but in relation to the review of the Prostitution Act and we are about to start hearings in relation to electoral reform.
MR COE: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Coe.
MR COE: Madam Chair, through this committee will you be inquiring into the massive conflict of interest the Labor Party has with regard to the community donations they receive through the Canberra Labor club?
MR SPEAKER: One moment, thank you, Mrs Dunne. Thank you, Mrs Dunne, the question is in order, you can proceed with your answer.
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