Page 3362 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 18 September 1990
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When a committee is examining witnesses, Members of the Assembly not being members of the committee may, by leave of the committee, question witnesses.
I am sure that, contrary to what Mr Moore says, there simply will not be any problem there. If members of the Opposition who are not members of the committee want to come down and desperately ask a few questions, I do not think they will have any problem at all. In fact, I would be rather surprised if they do come down because they have not a terribly good track record in terms of attending some of the committees of this Assembly, for somewhat spurious reasons. Really, I do not know why Mr Berry has bothered to put forward this motion. The Government, of course, is supporting the motion put forward by the Chief Minister which establishes an Estimates Committee in accordance with what happens in other parliaments in Australia. I am certain this will be put forward by the Labor Party if, at some future stage, it is in government and is forming an Estimates Committee.
MR STEVENSON (9.02): Mr Speaker, there is no more important matter that concerns the public than what is being done with its funds. It is vital that there be an opportunity for a full and thorough examination, not only of future but also of past expenditure by the Government in this Assembly. The public interest should be paramount. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever that the precedent set in this Assembly and readily agreed upon by the majority of people here should not be continually followed. It gives an opportunity for all members of the Assembly, less the Ministers and the Speaker, to have a vital input into the report.
Mr Stefaniak talked about the fact that people who desperately want to ask a few questions would have no difficulty. Once again, I think many people may like to ask a lot more than a few questions. It should not be by leave of the committee; it should be a committee of the whole. The important thing is not what questions are asked in any committee that has ever existed in this Assembly. The important thing is what is printed in the report and, even more importantly, what the recommendations are concerning that report. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever that the same situation that occurred last year should not again occur.
No reason has been given by members of the Alliance that that should not happen. The suggestion that the Labor Party would do the same thing is not a reason why it should not happen. The people of Canberra should have the right for their elected representatives to be on that committee and to have a vital part in the report which, in the final analysis, is the only important thing.
MR DUBY (Minister for Finance and Urban Services) (9.04): Mr Speaker, what we are looking at here tonight is a rather
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