Page 2161 - Week 08 - Thursday, 10 September 1992
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In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I endorse the report of the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedures which recommends the relocation of the ACT Legislative Assembly to South Building for what I hope will be our permanent home. Again, I thank members of the committee for the endorsement of many of the recommendations suggested by me and Ms Karen Nicholson, and again I hope that many more of the detailed suggestions regarding amenities will be taken up at the time of the examination of the details by the steering committee.
MS ELLIS (10.53): Madam Speaker, I would like to commend the members of this committee for coming to such a concerted report. Examining such a broad brief would not have started out as a very easy job. There are several aspects of the report that I think, from the Canberra community's point of view, when carried to fruition are going to be most valuable to this community. I would like to refer to those very briefly, particularly the recommendations concerning the glassed-in section of the gallery to be devoted to public use for school groups.
One of the frustrations that I feel as a member of this Assembly at the moment is that, as much as I would like to invite school groups and other members of the community into the Assembly, the logistics here are such that it is fairly difficult to do so. That is, from a community point of view, one of the most important aspects. The other one is the provision of an informal area where school groups can be addressed by members and other officials of the Assembly on the role of the Assembly. One of the important things that we need to do here - I think we are all conscious of this - is to educate the community at all levels on the workings of this place and the sorts of responsibilities that we carry as members of the community through to the Assembly. I think that, in the planning and the provision of the refurbished South Building, one of the most important things is going to be community and public access. At the moment we are almost devoid of it.
The last thing I would like to refer to briefly is the proposed Speaker's Committee.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Ms Ellis. Members, if there are to be those sorts of discussions, there is a room available. Could I please direct you to that.
Mr Kaine: It is occupied by the Government all the time.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Mr Kaine! It is difficult to hear Ms Ellis whilst there are discussions going on. Please continue, Ms Ellis.
MS ELLIS: Madam Speaker, I was referring to the creation of a Speaker's Committee. I, for one, as a backbench member of this Assembly, look forward very much to contributing as much as I can to the deliberations of that committee, both from my own point of view and also from the point of view of staff who work for us here. I should imagine that staff, through unions and through their own individual efforts, will have a contribution to make to that committee. I would urge people in this place, in all categories referred to in that recommendation, to take their role in relation to consultation during the early stages of this project very seriously. We have an opportunity here to create a very valuable public building, for the use of this Assembly and for the use of the community we serve. I thoroughly endorse everybody's participation at the appropriate level on that committee.
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