Page 646 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 20 May 1992
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Ministerial Staff
MR HUMPHRIES: My question is addressed to the Chief Minister. I refer to the answer that she gave to an earlier question this afternoon by the Leader of the Opposition. Given the level of intellectual exertion and expertise now required on the fifth floor of the Assembly - I might say that there is not much evidence on the ground floor, Madam Speaker - is the Chief Minister reviewing the staffing entitlements of all her Ministers along the same lines as for her office? In particular, if her Ministers, either because of a review or independently, choose to increase their SES numbers by 200 per cent, will she condone that? Will SES level officers employed by opposition members - I think particularly of the senior staffer of the Opposition Leader - also be entitled to a car courtesy of the taxpayer?
MS FOLLETT: I thank Mr Humphries for the question, Madam Speaker. I believe that all members here are aware that when this Assembly was reconvened I made an interim staffing arrangement for all members through you, Madam Speaker. Indeed, that is my role. I made it clear at that time that I was reviewing staffing for all members. So far, I must say, from private members, from Ministers, from backbenchers, I have not had a bid. So, Madam Speaker, I leave it with you. I have made that offer. I do not know what more I have to do, short of begging members to do something.
Mr Kaine: You told me only four days ago that you had not been asked to do such a review.
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, as I say, I made it clear that I was making an interim arrangement. I wrote to you to advise of that interim arrangement and said that the matter was under review. I have made no other arrangement for any members. I repeat that, where staff are classified at a particular level, the information I have is that they are entitled to everything that goes with that level in accordance with the Public Service Act.
Energy Efficient Buildings
MS SZUTY: My question is of the Minister for the Environment, Mr Wood. The Weekend Australian recently - and I refer to the edition of 16-17 May 1992 - carried an article on proposals for a new facility for the Federal Bureau of Mineral Resources in Canberra. The bureau's new complex will be built at an expected cost of some $100m. The brief for designing this structure includes making it energy efficient, and the architect in charge was quoted as saying that overseas experience has shown that savings of 30 to 80 per cent can be achieved on fuel bills in energy efficient buildings. A lot of data will be collected over the next 10 months in the lead-up to construction, including information about alternative air-conditioning systems and ecologically sustainable practices for managing the complex. My question of the Minister is: Will his department seek to share the results of this research into local conditions and the adaption of ecologically sustainable design to large buildings for the benefit of Canberrans and future building projects?
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