Page 1254 - Week 04 - Thursday, 7 April 2016

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PAC—will be dealing with estimates. That then pushes back the time that PAC can report or actually hold public hearings. If it goes to the public accounts committee in May we have to advertise so everybody can be included.

It would be almost impossible to start the public hearing schedule before the estimates committee swings into full steam, which means it can only start after that, which is at the end of July or early August. This means it would be impossible. If that is what you want, just say it. Just say you do not want it to go to committee. But do not put on PAC a burden that cannot be answered just by the sheer physical time frames. If you do not support this today, it is not going to happen.

If that is what you want to say, be honest. Act ethically and say, “That is what we are going to do. We are just going to shut you down. We do not care, because we have got the numbers.” Then you should tear up the Latimer House principles because it is impossible if this ends up in PAC in May for PAC to do its job properly and to report. It is just physically impossible when three out of four members of PAC are on estimates. The only time the hearings could be is in August, which means PAC could not table a report. I suspect that the government is not going to wait until the August sittings for a report that could not possibly be tabled before they pass this bill.

Mark my words: this bill will get passed in May. That is what the government will do. The government will simply rush this through, aided and abetted by Mr Rattenbury.

Mr Wall: Maybe June now.

MR SMYTH: Yes, Mr Wall, you are probably right. Maybe they will push it out until June just to say, “We did delay it.” But the just in time approach to legislation is undermining the integrity of this place, I think it is unethical behaviour. I think the motion should get up, because if you are genuine about consultation, this is the only way that it can happen, and the time frame starts today.

Question put:

That the motion be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Question so resolved in the negative.

Standing orders—amendment

MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Racing and Gaming and Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations) (11.00): I move:

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