Page 1397 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 11 May 1994
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I see a major change in society. Many people feel that we are going down the gurgler in Australia, and in Canberra; that there are so many areas of corruption we read about on a daily basis that the show is almost over and we have had it. I see it differently. I see the fact that the corruption is being exposed as a cleansing process, as a process working towards democracy, which would be a wonderful thing to have in Australia. Far be it from being a bad thing; it is a good thing. It certainly looks bad, but it is far better to have it exposed than to have it covered up.
The Chief Minister suggested that the Bill the Government tabled was a better Bill than this one. It does not appear to be. The Bill tabled by Mrs Carnell does go into detail and seems to work for the people it needs to protect - firstly, the whistleblower and, secondly, the people of Canberra. Those people who would cover things up are not really afforded much protection at all, and is that not a good thing? However, it is highly likely that there may be some benefits in some of the matters the Chief Minister raises, and I think it is an excellent idea that the Government have the opportunity to present amendments to the Bill and that this Assembly decide which are the best. From a democratic point of view, this is one of the most important Bills we have debated in this Assembly since its undemocratic institution.
MR MOORE (11.51): It is ironic, is it not, Madam Speaker, that Mr Stevenson should talk about this undemocratic institution today, which is the fifth anniversary of self-government? I would think Mr Stevenson by now would have begun to realise that he is fading into the past as far as his views on abolishing self-government go. The reality is that people now have self-determination, have used it widely, and will continue to use it.
I agree with Mr Stevenson's point that this is one of the most important issues we have dealt with in this Assembly. It comes down to the fundamental issue of accountability. People who know that something is wrong ought to have the avenue by which they can express that, rather than going through the frustration that whistleblowers have previously gone through. There have been far greater penalties for public servants who have known that something is wrong and who in conscience have taken a decision to put themselves at grave risk, both from their career point of view and from other perspectives, in order to achieve what they thought was right.
It has been interesting to listen to the two sides of this debate, with the Chief Minister presenting her form of whistleblower legislation and the Leader of the Opposition presenting the Public Interest Disclosure Bill. Mrs Carnell showed me her first version of this Bill well over a year ago and asked me for comments on how we might go about improving the Bill. I have seen a couple of versions of it since then as it has grown and been modified. I think there are some very effective provisions in both Bills, and the logical way for a small group such as our Assembly of 17 people to go is to pick out the best from both Bills, put them together and deliver them for the benefit of the people of the ACT.
The Chief Minister has been talking about grandstanding. I think, rather, that the Leader of the Opposition has done a great deal of work on this. To have her Bill debated is entirely appropriate. It certainly seems to me to be a very effective Bill, and I have had the opportunity to have input into that. It seems to me that it achieves the goal we are
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