Page 224 - Week 01 - Thursday, 10 February 2022
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The bill includes a number of important exceptions to the approach I have just outlined. Under the proposed amendments in the bill, the Speaker is not given a power to nominate a committee to perform functions pursuant to the Legislative Assembly (Office of the Legislative Assembly) Act, the Auditor-General Act, the Electoral Act, the Integrity Commission Act or the Ombudsman Act. These exceptions are included so that no conflict of interest with the Speaker’s performance under the functions of these acts is seen to arise—for example, perceived conflicts in relation to the exercise of the Speaker’s power to appoint these statutory offices and exercise the relevant committee’s functions to approve appointments.
The bill is an important and useful exercise in tightening up the language used across the law books and will provide additional certainty and clarity around the interaction between the Assembly resolutions and the statute law in the territory. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Ms Lawder) adjourned to the next sitting.
Legislative Assembly—amendment to resolution
MS BURCH (Brindabella) (11.22): I move:
That the resolution of the Assembly agreed to on 2 December 2020, as amended, be amended as follows—Paragraph (5), omit “14 days”, substitute “21 days”.
The motion seeks to increase the time allowed for consideration of bills referred to committees. This is a very simple change to the existing practice. I am seeking to change the resolution that was agreed on 2 December 2020, that it be amended from a 14-day period to a 21-day period. The reasons behind it were outlined in a 246A statement that I made in the Assembly on Tuesday. It has been supported across all parties through admin and procedure. I am looking for support today to confirm the change.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Legislative Assembly—amendment to resolution
MS BURCH (Brindabella) (11.23): I move:
That Continuing Resolution 5AA be amended by inserting the following paragraph:
“(7)(c) If the Commissioner receives a complaint and the Commissioner believes on reasonable grounds that there is insufficient evidence to justify an investigation or that the complaint is frivolous, vexatious or only for political advantage, the Commissioner will inform the complainant that the matter will not be further investigated. The Commissioner will also inform (without revealing the complainant’s identity or the nature of the complaint) both the committee and the Member the subject of the complaint that a complaint has been received but not further investigated.”.
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