Page 53 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 27 November 2012

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MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Rattenbury, could you resume your seat for a second please. Stop the clock. I cannot hear what Mr Rattenbury is saying. He will be heard in silence for the remainder of what he has to say. Thank you, Mr Rattenbury.

MR RATTENBURY: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I think I have made my key points. The other thing I would say is that I had a preference to see four members on all committees. There is an opportunity there to work on a consensus basis, but the Clerk, I believe, has provided advice that that perhaps is not the optimal model. But I think it is worth endeavouring with. Given the workload of the public accounts committee—and there is a very substantial workload on that committee—the ALP approached me and asked if they could have two members on that committee in recognition of that workload. I have agreed to that request on the basis that it is a substantial workload. I trust that all members of that committee will work for the benefit of the Assembly and of the ACT in the significant responsibilities they have.

It is somewhat of an experiment perhaps to have two and two. We will undoubtedly see how it goes. But I think it sits upon those members who nominate to that committee to ensure that it works and to not simply decide they are going to posture over the next four years to prove this vote wrong.

I note Mr Coe’s amendment 4(c)(iii), and I think that is a perfectly appropriate amendment. I will be happy to support Mr Coe’s proposed amendment.

MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Health and Minister for Higher Education) (11.47): I will just make a few comments. The speech from Mr Seselja makes it clear that the opposition views committees and numbers on committees as power and not about actually dealing with issues and working collaboratively and cooperatively in the parliament that has been elected by the people of Canberra. As much as it hurts the opposition, the people of the ACT voted for an eight, eight, one parliament. That is what they get, and now it is over to this parliament to make that work.

A four-member committee exists. Admin and procedure is a four-member committee in that there are two Liberal members on that committee. So it is all right in admin and procedure, but it is not all right in any other committee. The challenge to Mr Smyth—and you are not known for your collaborative practice at times, Mr Smyth—presuming that you will be chair of this committee, is to embark on your great diversification strategy that has eluded you for however many years you have been in this place and to work with other members in this place to get outcomes on a very important committee. Before you all start crying, “It’s unfair; nobody’s recognised how important we are,” let us accept that there is already a four-member committee and that the Liberals have the numbers on that committee. If the committees are about forcing power, in terms of having the same numbers—

Mr Coe interjecting—

MS GALLAGHER: I am sorry, Mr Coe, in terms of what you are criticising on public accounts, you are not criticising when you look at the committee that has two


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