Page 380 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 21 February 1990
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At that stage I propose to seek advice from the Chief Minister as to whether we should consult party leaders to see if we can put some of this process on to a consultative basis. At that stage, perhaps we can talk about a reference, perhaps in Social Policy Committee, to a major aspect or component of the considerations that we are giving. In that respect I assume that one of my colleagues will address the question as to whether we really have the capacity for another select committee and whether a component of this discussion could not be taken on board by the Social Policy Committee.
The position of the Alliance Government is that all citizens in the ACT have a legitimate concern about how we are policed in future. I have made that position of this Government absolutely and abundantly clear to the steering committee which is currently negotiating our position on resource allocation, personnel matters, joint use of resources, access to information and reporting requirements. Not the least of our current negotiating topics is the current complexity relating to Federal privacy laws and a whole range of cross-responses in terms of legislation.
I commend to the Assembly the work put in to date by the steering committee which at this stage is comprised of the Chief Law Officer of the Territory, Chris Hunt, and the Under Treasurer, Richard Madden. As well, there are representatives on the committee from the Federal Attorney-General's office and the Federal Department of Finance. As the Leader of the Opposition is aware, that steering committee is advised by an officers working party which is going through the background details and costings.
The Alliance Government carefully considered these issues in Cabinet recently and has agreed to the continuation of these negotiations with the aim of ensuring that a policing arrangement should be in place, if possible, by 1 July 1990. I commend the amended motion to the house and express a strong view that at this stage these negotiations should be conducted as they were planned by the Opposition originally and as they have been continued by this Government. They should be conducted in a spirit of bipartisanship on the basis that the Leader of the Opposition will be kept informed of issues likely to be difficult to debate politically, but worthy of bipartisan support.
Mr Speaker, the prospect that we do not have an arrangement by 1 July 1990 will not produce mayhem or difficulties, per se, for the Territory. But clearly, given the complexities of the finance negotiations that our Treasurer has to undertake with the Commonwealth, be it a new government or not, he would like, I am sure, a fair degree of specificity about the implications of taking on board a police function at this stage of our financial circumstances. I imagine that if the Treasurer has time to speak in this debate, he
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