Page 5179 - Week 17 - Thursday, 13 December 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
an allowance in this case and it ought to be the case that we have an honorary board. Members of that honorary board, however, should be entitled to be reimbursed for any expenses they have actually incurred.
I certainly would call on Government members and members of the Opposition to support the notion that this clause is entirely unnecessary. I know that the legislation has been drawn up quickly and that the board was appointed first. Because of that I have conceded and voted with the Government on the last amendment put by Mr Berry, albeit only from a practical point of view. However, in this particular perspective I think it is appropriate that we remove clause 17 and subclause 18(2), which is a consequential effect of removing clause 17.
MR SPEAKER: Before we proceed, is it the wish of the Assembly to debate these two clauses concurrently? That being the case, we are now addressing both of those clauses.
DR KINLOCH (12.21): Mr Speaker, I have much sympathy with Mr Moore's point of view. I would like to say, however, that I find this a problem in another connection. There is an Arts Development Board and none of the members of that board receive remuneration. As a result of that, one member of that board, Sara Dowse, is finding it impossible to continue as a member of the board.
I am worried about this, and I hope that we will all be looking at ways in which we can help the Arts Development Board receive remuneration for its members - people obviously such as writers, sculptors and artists, whose income is minimal - so that they can take part in discussions of the ADB. It would be unfortunate if the ADB could be made up only of people who could support their membership by their own incomes.
MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Health, Education and the Arts) (12.22): Mr Speaker, I might indicate that Mr Moore's dulcet tones have utterly convinced us on this side of the chamber and we will be agreeing to this amendment. I might point out that, as the original clauses stood, they did not actually require that we pay members any money but did provide that we have the option of doing so. In fact, members of the Interim Hospitals Board were not paid; members of the present ACT Board of Health are not to be paid. But I can accept Mr Moore's comments. I can assure him that the fact that it is there is not a reflection on the speed with which the thing was drafted. But I am quite happy to take it out, now that he raises that point.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .