Page 1169 - Week 04 - Thursday, 21 April 1994

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MR HUMPHRIES (1.54): Madam Speaker, I want to refer to amendment r. and to pose a question to the Chief Minister. Proposed new section 214A reproduces, more or less, the provisions of proposed new section 214 which apply to a candidate, and presumably includes candidates in parties. The amendment reproduces the provision for the reporting agents of non-party groups. That, I understand, is what it does. We find that subsections 214(1), (2) and (3) are reproduced, but not subsection 214(4), which says:

A reference ... to a gift shall be read as a reference to a gift other than a gift made in a private capacity to a candidate for his or her personal use ...

I am curious as to why that would not be considered to be a circumstance that might apply to an individual within a party group.

MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (1.56): Madam Speaker, I am happy to respond to Mr Humphries's query. A candidate has to make an individual return, whereas the new section refers to non-party groups. Therefore, if you are operating as a non-party group you do not have to make an individual return. As a non-party group you have to disclose what you get as a party rather than as an individual candidate. That is my understanding.

MR HUMPHRIES (1.56): As I understand what the Chief Minister is saying, a person who is a member of a party has some level of individual responsibility which a person who is a member of a non-party group does not have. There is some difference between those two people in that sense - some lesser level of accountability.

MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (1.57): I think the distinction, Mr Humphries, is that you are operating as a candidate, as an individual, as an Independent. Is that right?

MADAM SPEAKER: Would it be appropriate to suspend for lunch?

MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, it may be an idea to suspend for lunch in the course of this debate.

[~Bold MADAM SPEAKER: Is it the wish of the Assembly to suspend for lunch? If so, we will resume at 2.30 for question time.

Debate interrupted.

Sitting suspended from 1.57 to 2.30 pm

21 April 1994

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