Page 2920 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 15 August 1990
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MR COLLAERY: This is a vain hope, it seems - that members will put aside partisan political issues as we approach this first necessary assessment of the self-government structure. Self-government is 15 months old. The first seven months of self-government were characterised by a minority government of five members, four of whom were Ministers and the other a Cabinet secretary. The Alliance established a more orthodox grouping. There were four Ministers and a Cabinet secretary and a Cabinet secretariat drawn in a traditional sense from the public administration. Although the Opposition may have formed some conclusions on their work capacity during the learning stage of the first seven months, let me say that the evolution of self-government over a far more lengthy period has produced a profoundly different, more varied and much more onerous workload for the ministry.
The Opposition has made much of the status of Executive Deputies. The Opposition has claimed that the Executive Deputy structure offends their notion of ministerial responsibilities. The Opposition has refused to cooperate on the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Standing Committee because Mr Jensen is its chair, yet at the same time across the lake the Labor Prime Minister has moved to appoint 13 junior Ministers and five parliamentary secretaries.
Mr Connolly: And none of them chair committees.
MR COLLAERY: The Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act provides for the ACT to have four Ministers - the Chief Minister elected by the Assembly and three other Ministers appointed by the Chief Minister. I refer here to sections 40 and 41. In relation to the last interjection about them chairing committees, I would invite the Opposition to make some inquiries across the lake.
The number of ministries may be changed, firstly by the Federal Parliament amending the Act. I remind members that the self-government Act is a Federal Act. The Act also provides for the number to be changed by regulations. Section 41(2) of the Act allows for this and also provides that regulations may not be made except in accordance with a resolution passed by the Assembly. The regulations would be made by the Governor-General on advice from the Commonwealth Executive Council under section 74 of the self-government Act.
There are several steps in this process. The Assembly must pass a resolution requesting a change in the number of Ministers the Chief Minister is required to appoint. There are no formalities set out in this resolution but it would have to specify the change that is requested. The effect of the resolution before the Assembly would be to give the Chief Minister the power to appoint up to two extra Ministers. Section 39 of the self-government Act stipulates that the members of the Executive are the Chief Minister and other Ministers.
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