Page 5333 - Week 17 - Thursday, 13 December 1990
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I will not go through the recommendations in any detail. I know that it is late and members can read them for themselves. But I will touch on some of the more interesting ones. It is important to note that, in setting up a board like the Priorities Review Board, there was widespread community concern at the make-up of that board, and in particular the view was expressed to the committee that the trade union movement, community groups, health consumers, parents and so on, would have liked a more direct voice on that board. As it was, the board was made up almost exclusively of business people. The committee has recommended that future inquiries have a broader range of people on the board itself.
We have also made a number of recommendations relating to the use of consultants. That is really the only other major point that I will make tonight. We were aware, of course, that there were draft guidelines for consultancies available at the time. The problem was that they were not used, and the committee, I think rightly, expressed some concern at the apparent ease with which all of the consultancies in the PRB were exempted from those guidelines. We were also quite concerned that they remain as draft guidelines. The Public Accounts Committee has recommended that the draft guidelines be firmed up quite considerably and that some consideration be given to making them mandatory.
We have also recommended that the consultancies be subject to the normal standards of accountability and, in particular, that they be monitored and be responsible to somebody within the ACT Administration. In the case of the PRB, that did not happen. The committee felt that that ought to be the case. We also would like to see a written report for every consultancy, no matter how small it is. I do not think that that is an undue impost on a consultant. As I say, I will leave the report to members to study and to respond to. I would like, again, to thank the secretariat and, of course, my fellow committee members for working on this reference.
MR JENSEN (12.32 am): I will keep my remarks on this matter reasonably brief. Let me say from the outset that, despite some suggestions by the Opposition to the contrary, it is my view that it was quite appropriate for the Chief Minister to seek information to assist in the development of a much needed budget strategy. Of particular importance was the need to use outside advice rather than use a group from within the ACT Public Service.
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