Page 2043 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 4 June 2019

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MR RATTENBURY: Just to avoid the subsequent questions, I will take the first part of the question on notice, so that I can give Mr Coe an exact date. The thing that catalysed the start of the audit was to make sure that we had an accurate system going forward. I think the Canberra community are very supportive of the policies the government have put in place; equally they expect us to ensure they are being administered properly. I should say that Evoenergy have an equal commitment. I have spoken to the new CEO of Evoenergy, John Knox; we have had a very clear conversation about this. They are cooperating fully with the government. They want this to be right as well. For me, a key catalyst is assuring the community that they can have confidence in the data management that is going on here.

Mr Coe: A point of order.

MADAM SPEAKER: Resume your seat, Mr Rattenbury. Mr Coe on a point of order.

Mr Coe: On relevance, Madam Speaker, I asked what the catalyst was: not the rationale or the reason for the audit but the catalyst that sparked the audit in March of this year.

MADAM SPEAKER: I do not believe there is a point of order. I think Mr Rattenbury is explaining the reasons why he has initiated the audit.

MR RATTENBURY: It is a fine line, isn’t it, between a rationale and a catalyst? To be perfectly clear, so that Mr Coe is happy with the answer I have provided, the catalyst was advice from the directorate that they wanted to make sure that the data was absolutely accurate. That is why we initiated the audit.

MS LAWDER: Minister, could you provide to the Assembly by the close of business today the scope, the time line, who is undertaking the audit and how much it will cost?

MR RATTENBURY: I will see what I can provide. Of course, the reason people know about this is that we published a notifiable instrument indicating we were doing it. So the government has not sought to hide this. I will see what information is available in response to Ms Lawder’s question.

Environment—fauna

MS LE COUTEUR: My question is to the minister for the environment. It relates to the news in the Canberra Times of 24 May that Canberra’s grassland earless dragon is one of four distinct species and therefore totally unique. Minister, how will this news increase the government’s efforts to save our local grassland earless dragon?

MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Ms Le Couteur for her interest, particularly in the environment. The grassland earless dragon, as we know, is an endangered species. We have been working very hard to support that species to continue by ensuring that we have the proper environment for it to thrive in.


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