Page 12 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 14 February 2012
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MS HUNTER: Mr Coe finds this incredibly amusing. It is not amusing. This is a matter that cannot be swept under the carpet. It is an important matter that needs to be looked at. It needs to be independently audited. We do have questions. Mr Seselja said in his speech that he is very happy to come back into the Assembly and answer those questions. I look forward to Mr Seselja’s response to those questions. It may well clarify many matters.
I state quite clearly that the Greens will be supporting this motion. We also support the direction to the Speaker to set up this independent workplace audit. With these two lines of questions and questioning, we may be able to get to the bottom of this matter. But at the end of the day we do have the privilege of being elected members, we do have responsibilities to the electorate for the use of taxpayers’ dollars, and we do have responsibilities as employers to our employees. We need to ensure that our records are kept; we do account for money. Therefore the Greens will be supporting this motion.
MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Minister for Health and Minister for Territory and Municipal Services) (10.40): This motion today deals with several serious concerns and allegations that have arisen from the revelations last week about the administration of the Leader of the Opposition’s office. Firstly, it notes with concern that this is the third in a series of ethical fault lines in the Leader of the Opposition’s office, and I go back to the issue of having to repay $10,000 that was taken from charities to fund the Canberra Liberals’ volunteer work.
We also note that the Leader of the Opposition has had to come into this place and apologise for staff using for political purposes photocopying resources provided to members of the Assembly. And now we find out that for three years the Leader of the Opposition failed to adequately manage his staffing responsibilities, which are clearly set out in certified agreements, legislation and, indeed, several reminders over a number of years from Secretariat staff.
This motion notes those concerns. It then seeks further information from the Leader of the Opposition in relation to a number of matters. Alongside that, it seeks an independent audit into those records that have been kept—and that the Leader of the Opposition assures us are accurate—to provide the Assembly with some assurance that taxpayer funds have not been used for any inappropriate purpose and that the records which have been signed off in the Leader of the Opposition’s office are accurate and a true reflection of the hours and leave and TOIL earned by particular staff.
I have to say it is unfortunate to say the least that the Assembly is faced with dealing with this motion this morning. This is an unprecedented motion. I do not recall in my time in this place the Assembly having to deal with basic administration matters of members’ entitlements. This is not an issue of the Assembly’s making—despite what I am sure we will hear from those opposite in subsequent speeches and, indeed, in the speech we heard from the Leader of the Opposition this morning—but it is up to the Assembly to make sure that an appropriate response to the concerns that have been raised is provided.
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