Page 595 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 4 July 1989
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Tuesday, 4 July 1989
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MR SPEAKER (Mr Prowse) took the chair at 2.30 pm and read the prayer.
FITZGERALD REPORT
Ministerial Statement
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister), by leave: Members of the Assembly will no doubt be aware of the public release yesterday of the Fitzgerald report in Queensland. My Government considers that the report is a devastating indictment of the abuses which can occur under a system of government which is non-consultative and illiberal and which endowed a police force with excessive powers which were clearly open to abuse. As Mr Fitzgerald indicates, the climate of corruption in Queensland arose only because of the style of government in that State - a style which stifled debate and adopted cheap populist positions on issues.
Obviously, the Fitzgerald inquiry was established to examine a series of problems in Queensland, which had been suspected by many people for a long time. However, the findings of the report are important to all governments everywhere. It is relevant in these circumstances that my Government has adopted a completely different approach to governing the ACT from that which applied in Queensland. We were very pleased to note this morning that a number of the recommendations in Mr Fitzgerald's report are totally consistent with the style of government which we have implemented in the ACT.
I consider that the Assembly should commend the Labor Government for already taking steps to avoid the development of the kind of administrative climate which has led to the series of scandalous abuses of power in Queensland. In particular, the problems of Queensland will be avoided by governments being as open and accountable as possible in all issues and in the management of the machinery of government.
Let me outline some specific measures which we have adopted. In less than two months, my Government has introduced a requirement for publicly available statements of pecuniary interests by all members of this Assembly. Naturally, we will also continue the existing requirements for declarations of interests by senior officials. Separate and more stringent arrangements have been put in place for Ministers.
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