Page 99 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 27 November 2012
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MR COE (Ginninderra) (4.04): I have moved the amendments in my name on the A4 sheet with “revised” marked on the top regarding the establishment of standing committees. As was foreshadowed earlier, the opposition has a preference for having three members on each of the standing committees. However, given the government have stated that they would like four on the PAC, it is the opposition’s view that four should be on each of the standing committees. Therefore, the amendments which I have moved omit subparagraphs (4)(a)(ii), (4)(b)(ii), (4)(d)(ii) and (4)(c)(ii) and insert “two members to be nominated by the opposition” in place of each of those.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations and Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development) (4.06): The government will support the amendments proposed by Mr Coe. I think it is worth placing on the record some of the inaccurate assessments that were made by Mr Seselja in his reference in the debate earlier today when it came to the size of committees. It was Mr Seselja who indicated to the Chief Minister they were not supportive of four-member committees, not the other way around. The government proposed the structure we did this morning based on that feedback from Mr Seselja. But that is all clearly water under the bridge at this point in time, and we now have a proposal where each committee will be constituted by two members of the opposition party and two members of the government party.
I note that Mr Coe’s amendments do not make further changes in relation to my substantive motion, which proposes the relevant chairs and which of the either governing or opposition parties will chair certain committees. I am pleased with that outcome. I note that the Assembly has already resolved to make it clear that the justice and community safety committee will be chaired by an opposition member.
In conclusion, I think it is worth reiterating the comments that were made this morning in debate; that is, with a committee of two members from each party and no crossbench representation it is going to be incumbent on all members appointed to these committees to strive to work together, to strive to reach common ground and consensus and compromise, for the conduct of the committees to be effective. That will certainly be, I am confident, the approach of the Labor nominees to each of the committees and I encourage Liberal members to adopt a similar view. The government will be supporting the amendments proposed by Mr Coe.
Mr Coe’s amendment agreed to.
Motion, as amended, agreed to.
ACT centenary
Discussion of matter of public importance
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Gentleman): The Speaker has received letters from Ms Berry, Mr Doszpot, Mr Gentleman, Mr Hanson, Ms Porter, Mr Seselja and
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