Page 882 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 27 March 1990
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allow our decisions to intrude on that principle. It is a good principle, but it is not the same principle as saying that there is no connection, no overlap, no commonality between the Executive and the Assembly. Of course, that statement is nonsense.
The second great value in the committee system is that it provides direct contact between the Assembly and the ACT community, where issues of concern are aired, and debate is generated and particular issues are resolved by, hopefully, the development of a consensus on particular topics. I must say at one stage I debated with myself the idea of providing in the standing orders of this Assembly the opportunity for the Assembly to call witnesses before it as a whole in order to enable citizens of the Territory, to come and address the Assembly on issues - - -
Mr Duby: Stand at the bar.
MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, stand at the bar and address the Assembly on issues of concern to them. That sort of thing has occurred in the past in another context. I understand that only late last year it was exercised in the Queensland Parliament. In that case, of course, it was by someone on a contempt charge.
Mr Duby: It almost invariably has been, actually.
MR HUMPHRIES: Yes. Unfortunately, the people who come before assemblies and parliaments in those circumstances tend to be people in some degree of strife. I hope that would not be the only circumstance in which our provision would enable that to happen. Nonetheless, it is worth considering. It behoves us to think about innovative ways of enhancing government and democracy in the ACT. We might find that a useful kind of tool in allowing people to convey important views to the Government and to members of the Assembly generally.
The third advantage of the committee system is that it provides the Assembly with an opportunity to develop a bipartisan view because Assembly members are able to consider issues away from the adversarial atmosphere of the chamber. I think it is worth reflecting on the fact that the vast majority of business we do in this place is essentially non-contentious. The majority of legislation is passed either without amendment or with amendments of a fairly insubstantial and inconsequential nature. It would be a mistake for people to think - and I am sure that many people in the community do think - that politics and the life of a parliament is all about everyday conflict and constant, unmitigated adversarial contact between the Opposition and the Government. In reality that is not the case and we can enhance that reality by the work we do on committees. Very often we are able to bring forward a bipartisan view to the Assembly, and thank goodness for that is all I can say.
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