Page 1375 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 June 2020

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We are asking for further transparency around the state of the books—the balance sheet, the operating statements. What is the financial position of the territory at this point in time? We are asking for consultation amongst leaders. As we head into an election, where there has been no appropriation made, we ask that there is broad consultation. Again he is squibbing that obligation as a custodian of the treasury books. He is hiding behind the numbers that he enjoys due to the aiding and abetting of the Greens in this place.

This is an outrageous undermining of the trust which the people place in all of us when they elect us to this place. It breaches the contract of trust that the government and ministers enjoy in administering the territory on residents’ behalf.

I call on Mr Rattenbury and Ms Le Couteur, as the crossbench votes, to have that rush of blood settle from their heads, look at what the common-sense and transparent options are, and vote on the side of allowing more information out into the public arena and greater consultation amongst the elected representatives that exist in this place until 17 October. This should include the administration of the territory’s finances, as we move forward into the election and beyond, when finally an appropriation may be presented to the parliament.

MR COE (Yerrabi—Leader of the Opposition) (4.51): Madam Speaker, I will be seeking leave to move an amendment to Mr Gentleman’s proposed amendment. It is being circulated, I gather. Madam Speaker, if you are going to postpone the budget, if you are going to remove the scrutiny opportunity, and the opportunity for us to interrogate the budget, it is reasonable that, in addition to points (1) through (10), as proposed by Mr Gentleman, we also have a requirement that the ACT government consult with the leaders of all parties in the Assembly before additional financial measures are publicly announced and, again, call on the ACT government to publish, on an ACT government website by 25 June—by next week—the general government sector operating statement, balance sheet and cashflow statement.

Madam Speaker, for your benefit, I draw to your attention that a substantive change in what I am proposing is that the ACT government publish on an ACT government website the operating statements by next week, rather than have to come in today and publish it, which now obviously will not be possible. Also, I am satisfied with just the general government sector—just the GGS.

Putting in those two important additions, thus changing what is before us, makes this a far more reasonable motion for the ACT government to comply with. The two substantive issues are, firstly, to consult in the absence of an appropriation bill and, secondly, to at least tell Canberrans where we are at with regard to the financials, rather than have to wait for another two months for the next quarterly update. I think it is pretty reasonable.

MADAM SPEAKER: I will let Mr Barr have the call. You have put your argument that it is different, but I am of a mind that it is the same in substance and you have just changed a date. I will allow Mr Barr to respond in the first instance.


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