Page 2985 - Week 10 - Thursday, 15 September 1994
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... to:
(a) examine:
(i) the accounts of the receipts and expenditure of the Australian Capital Territory;
(ii) the financial affairs of authorities of the Australian Capital Territory; and
(iii) all reports of the Auditor-General which have been laid before the Assembly;
The matters are covered in the terms of reference of the Public Accounts Committee. I would be interested to hear why they are not, if someone makes that suggestion. If there is some concern to look at financial matters that it may be felt are not being looked at correctly, by all means, get the standing committee to do their job.
MR MOORE (11.39): Madam Speaker, this, in many ways, has been a debate through the three years of this Assembly. I have certainly heard Mr Kaine on quite a number of occasions raise the issue that matters dealt with by the Select Committee on Estimates could well be dealt with by the Public Accounts Committee. There have been a whole series of reasons why it is that we have still proceeded to a select committee. I think one of the most important reasons why we have proceeded to the select committee is that it actually elevates the particular subject to a special level and draws the public's attention to the fact that when we are dealing with the estimates issue, when we are dealing with the annual reports, it is something that is particular, it is something that is special and it is something that we have the opportunity to see - - -
Mr De Domenico: So the select committee is more important than a standing committee?
MR MOORE: There is an interjection from Mr De Domenico, who says - and it is put as a question - "So a select committee is more important than a standing committee?". No, Mr De Domenico; but they are different. I think that is the problem. We are doing something different on this particular issue, because we consider that it requires a different approach. That is why it is, Madam Speaker, that I shall be supporting this motion and voting against the amendment moved by Mr Humphries.
MR BERRY (Manager of Government Business) (11.41): I rise briefly to advise the Assembly that the Government will be opposing the amendment proposed by Mr Humphries. It clearly is aimed to shift the chairpersonship of the committee from Ms Szuty to Mr Kaine - a smart alec move which I would not have minded the opportunity to talk about. Mr Humphries would know that we have discussed this issue to this point and it would have been handy to have had the opportunity to discuss this particular amendment. I feel confident that I would have been able to talk him out of it, because it is just nonsensical and it just makes the Liberals look silly again. So, Madam Speaker, the Government will be opposing this amendment.
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