Page 889 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 27 March 1990
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Having said that, I would mirror some of the comments made by previous speakers. I look forward to sitting with members of the Labor Party other than just Mr Wood who I have had the pleasure of being on several committees with. I think it is highly unfortunate that to date the ALP has not participated in the committee structure since this Government came into power in November. I gather from the comments made opposite that that will change very soon. In fact, I have heard on the grapevine that we will be graced with the pleasure of Mrs Grassby's company on the Conservation, Heritage and Environment Committee, and I certainly look forward to working with her. Indeed, talking about some of the recommendations of the ALP in their report, I am delighted to say that some of the comments I am fully in agreement with. I agree with their comments and the comments made by the members opposite that an efficient committee system is essential to the smooth operation of this Assembly. I think we would all agree the committees provide an opportunity for a more detailed and less partisan and less formal consideration of issues than is likely to occur in the formalised chamber we are sitting in now.
As speakers have noted, I agree with the Opposition in their comment that one of the major roles of our Assembly committees is to provide the opportunity for members of the Assembly to participate in policy formulation and development. Debate on policy issues within the Assembly does tend to concentrate on proposals brought to the Assembly in a largely finalised form by the Executive. Members debate the appropriateness of the policy but they tend not to be involved in its development, and that is particularly the case with non-executive members. Parliamentary committees fill the gap there.
Members have spoken of the less formal nature of the Assembly committees and the greater flexibility in their operation which allows them to fill an important gap in the proceedings in the Assembly. They enable members to hear and question expert witnesses and persons and the general public can give evidence in a privileged forum. A broad range of community views on important issues of the day can therefore be canvassed.
I appreciate the comments made by all members so far in relation as to how issues can be resolved and sensible compromises reached, especially in an Assembly such as ours where we have state and also local government responsibilities. As my colleague Mr Humphries says, so many things we do are bipartisan, and I would put that figure at probably 80 per cent plus. Most of the functions we perform are bipartisan and committees help in developing a good, commonsense, workable approach to many issues of the day that should not get bogged down in petty party politics. Committees of this Assembly have, in the past, served a very relevant and useful role and will continue to do so.
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