Page 500 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 20 February 1991
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There are simply not enough hours in the day. Because they have to report at the next sitting, there is simply not enough time for the Estimates Committee to handle a task such as this. It would obviously require some time and effort and would be a very difficult task indeed. In fact, Mr Jensen will remember that the Estimates Committee recommended quite clearly that the committee continue for some time to sort out its role, amongst other things. So I think it would be quite appropriate for this to go to the Estimates Committee if it were sitting at a time other than when it is looking at the specific budget.
As Ms Follett said, it is an appropriate reference for the Public Accounts Committee to take on. "Why not just let the Public Accounts Committee take it on?", said Mr Kaine. Quite simply, I am not a member of that committee. So, this is an appropriate forum, a perfectly normal, perfectly reasonable forum to which I can say, "There is a matter the Assembly's attention ought to be drawn to because it is a matter of public accountability and I think it is quite appropriate for the Public Accounts Committee to take it on". It is a perfectly reasonable way for this to happen.
Mr Duby: It is not a matter of public accountability. I think that has been demonstrated.
MR MOORE: Mr Duby states that it is not a matter of public accountability. It is clearly a matter of public accountability. You have talked about tenders being roughly in the order of, and used that sort of example. You have convinced no-one. The diatribe of the Chief Minister achieved absolutely nothing other than, if I can quote Ms Follett, to make us think that there is something you are trying to cover up. At no stage was I suggesting that that was the case - until that diatribe started. Quite clearly, we have an example, that I have made public, of excess money being available to the Government. It is quite reasonable for us to look at it in difficult times and see how restraint is being exercised and how a committee of the Assembly can recommend in a bipartisan fashion the way that that money ought to be dealt with.
Mr Duby also said that sometimes projects are underestimated, and he gave an example. We know that to be the case. He said, "The Public Accounts Committee cannot look at that". Of course they can. If he had read my suggested terms of reference, No. 5 refers to "any related matters which the Committee deems appropriate". Without pre-empting them, it may be that the committee would decide that the money from overexpenditure should go to an area of underexpenditure. I do not intend to pre-empt it. That is certainly open to the committee and it is perfectly reasonable for the Public Accounts Committee to consider it.
The indications quite clearly are that the Government intends to bump this one on the head because they do not want public scrutiny, public accountability, of what they
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