Page 3912 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 9 November 1994
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would need to be given further consideration. Quite clearly this Assembly rejected the recommendations of the Select Committee on the Establishment of an ACT Public Service on whistleblower legislation as they affected the Bill at that time; but, quite clearly, it said that it was appropriate that the legislation be enacted in the form determined by this Assembly and the matter be further investigated.
What has happened since? Every opportunity has been given for that committee to resurrect and to continue its deliberation on the appropriateness of those matters contained within the separate service Act. That is the appropriate way for this matter to be dealt with, not by Mrs Carnell attempting to exercise the wisdom of Solomon in the way she has formed her Bill. In fact, she has circulated amendments today. The Chief Minister went through and highlighted the advice received. Mrs Carnell believes that she has become a parliamentary draftsperson far superior to a former Chief Justice in relation to one of those reports which outlines a range of issues.
Mrs Carnell: No; it was your drafters who did it.
Mr Humphries: That is it; attack the public servants.
MR LAMONT: Mr Humphries, after your grubby little act just now, I suggest that you should be the last in this Assembly to talk about attacking the person.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Relevance, please, Mr Lamont.
MR LAMONT: Mr Deputy Speaker, the proposal that is being considered now during private members business time is that we consider once again the substance of a matter that was rejected by this Assembly when it considered the report of the Select Committee on the Establishment of an ACT Public Service.
Mrs Carnell: The Government did; the majority of the Assembly did not.
MR LAMONT: This Assembly voted on what happened, Mrs Carnell. That may be something that escapes your mind. It would appear that most things escape your mind fairly easily. We have considered this matter in relation to the establishment of a separate service and the legislation that was put through. We have established a committee to oversight the implementation of that Act and to give further consideration to issues raised. If you wish to have the Act, as it is currently framed, further considered, amended, altered or changed, the appropriate way for that to be done is through the established committee process of this Assembly.
Mrs Carnell: Are you saying that I should not have control of my own Bill?
MR LAMONT: No. What I am saying to you, Mrs Carnell, is: Learn. While you have not very much to offer, I would suggest, the least you may be able to do is to learn from the processes that apply in this place. The matter was considered. It was rejected by the body of the Assembly. We have a piece of legislation that takes into account the content of your legislation. It says that, in the establishment of a separate public service, we proceed in a particular direction, and that we establish a continuing committee to oversight the implementation of legislation establishing a separate service in the ACT.
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