Page 5056 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 26 October 2011

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MR BARR: Yes. Before I sit down, I have circulated an amendment to Ms Le Couteur’s amendment.

Mr Smyth: How can you move an amendment to an amendment that has not been moved?

MR BARR: She has not moved an amendment yet.

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Okay, thank you. Ms Le Couteur.

MS LE COUTEUR (Molonglo) (4.37 pm): I move:

Omit all words after “That this Assembly”, substitute:

(1) notes:

(a) the significance of the ACT Government as a purchaser of goods and services from ACT businesses;

(b) the critical importance of a regular cash flow for the sustainability of smaller businesses in particular;

(c) the Labor-Greens Parliamentary Agreement item 7.3 that provides for the payment of small business invoices within 30 days with commercial interest on late payments; and

(d) significant delays in the payment of some invoices by the Government, and the adverse effect late payments have on the capacity of the organisations to maintain their functions;

(2) calls on the ACT Government to:

(a) constantly improve in the timeliness of payment of invoices;

(b) ensure that where appropriate government tenders and contracts are structured to allow small business and social enterprises to compete for government business;

(c) include in the Annual Report Directions a requirement to publish the number of invoices paid within 30 days of receipt and the number paid in longer than 30 days, together with the average value of overdue invoices in agency annual reports; and

(d) table a list of the number of current invoices by directorate that have been outstanding for more than 30 days, together with the average value as at 31 October 2011, by Thursday, 17 November 2011; and

(3) requests that the Auditor-General consider conducting compliance audits on the performance of government payments.”.


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