Page 2299 - Week 08 - Friday, 21 June 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR STEVENSON (4.43): The people of the ACT have, for the past two years, since the inception of this Assembly, been promised open and accountable government. I have no doubt that while ever this Assembly exists they will continue to be promised open and accountable government. Unfortunately, they do not see open and accountable government. While ever we have a situation where political parties, politicians and bureaucrats meet in secret and are able to withhold records pertaining to the decisions they have made, we can never have open and accountable government.
Mr Fitzgerald, in the Fitzgerald inquiry in Queensland, said, "Secrecy is the bottom line of corruption". He went on to say, "I repeat, secrecy is the bottom line of corruption". While ever decisions can be made, by people who are supposed to be representing the electorate, behind closed doors and the information relating to those decisions is not available to the people of the electorate, we will have a situation that is conducive to corruption, even though it may not lead to corruption.
I do not need to list the various governments, politicians and bureaucratic areas around Australia where there have been police, parliamentary or other investigations. Indeed, I would not have time to do so. As I said, much talk is made about consulting the people and giving the people a say. But, until the people see the actions taken and not just the words spoken, they will not believe it and indeed we will not have it.
The situation exists in Australia, in North Sydney, where executive decisions, when made in a group, are open to the public. The public can go along and listen. These decisions are not made behind closed doors as in this Assembly. Indeed, there are many situations in the ACT Assembly where not even the other members of parliament know what is going on. I thought it was quite interesting to listen to Rosemary Follett talk about open government. She said:
My Government's emphasis on consultation will also extend to the Assembly itself ... With these objectives in mind, we will work to encourage a healthy and vital committee system; we will be open in our dealings with Assembly members ...
It was coincidental that at that very moment Ellnor Grassby was chatting to Michael Moore - perhaps doing the rounds, finally, on what the committee system will be in the ACT.
Mr Connolly: Effective negotiations.
MR STEVENSON: Perhaps the effective negotiations could have started rather earlier than today; for it was only today that I was given by Mr Berry - and he did ask for my comments, but fairly late in the piece - a list of what was going to happen in the Assembly. What most people in the
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .