Page 3366 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 24 November 1992
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Clause 9
MR HUMPHRIES (8.39): I seek leave of the Assembly to move my amendments Nos 9(a) and 9(b) separately.
Leave granted.
MR HUMPHRIES: I move:
Page 3, line 13, before "Commission" (first occurring) insert "Electoral".
This is a reflection of what we have already decided to do, to change the terminology, so it is a relatively straightforward amendment.
Amendment agreed to.
MR HUMPHRIES (8.40): I move:
Page 3, line 15, omit "activities of the Commission", substitute "operation of this Act".
What this does, basically, is change clause 9 of the Bill, which provides for the presentation of an annual report, to provide that instead of a report relating to the activities of the commission it relate to the operation of this Act. That is not intended in any way to narrow the scope of the report. In fact, it is intended to widen it slightly. For example, under clause 7 of the Bill the Chief Minister may ask for electoral matters to be referred to the commission and have the commission report to her on those matters. That might not be considered to be an activity of the commission, but it certainly is something under the Act because it is provided for in the Act.
It is a perhaps semantic difference, but I believe that it is a difference which is important and is of some value. I ask the Assembly to bear in mind that we need to make this report as comprehensive as possible so that when members use it, for example, in the Estimates Committee process, to decide what the commission has been doing during the year and to assess the value of its work, they have the chance to get a full picture rather than merely a partial picture.
MS SZUTY (8.41): I oppose this amendment as proposed by Mr Humphries. I think it will be the only one of his amendments that I will be opposing this evening. I recall that during the discussions we had about a week ago I was very much in favour of the furnishing of an annual report by the Electoral Commission to the Assembly. I believe that Mr Humphries's amendment does narrow the range of activities that the Electoral Commission may well report on to the Assembly. I actually interpreted it the other way round. Mr Humphries argues that it will in fact broaden the range of activities that the Electoral Commission will report on. I think that his amendment actually narrows the range of activities that they will report on in this case.
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