Page 3922 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 9 November 1994
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Mr Berry: It was a forgettable speech, Tony.
MR DE DOMENICO: No. Mr Berry, I am glad that I follow you and I am glad that you interject. It is always interesting when Mr Berry interjects, because my memory does not serve me well. This Bill has been on the notice paper for so long. In fact, Mr Berry, it has been on the notice paper since 24 February. Guess what? It was at the time that you were a Minister. It was before this Assembly saw fit to say that you misled us and you were no longer a Minister. Mr Lamont, I recall, was on the committee on 24 February. It was such a long time ago. I think I chaired the committee at that time. Did Mr Lamont move to refer this Bill to the committee? The answer, of course, is that he did not. Mr Lamont probably did not even read the Bill.
I have sat here and listened to people say, "Listen, this Bill is already before the committee". That is nonsense. Point No. 1 is that if it was before the committee it would not be on the notice paper. Point No. 2 is this: Let us see what the committee secretariat has to say about it. We on this side of the house have been accused. Mr Moore stood up and started talking about leadership, for heaven's sake. Before we come in and say anything in this place we make sure that we have the facts right. Here is a letter from the secretariat of this Assembly and it says this:
I refer to our conversation on 11 October 1994 where you requested information on how the Public Interest Disclosure Bill can be brought on for debate.
The Public Interest Disclosure Bill 1994 was referred by the Assembly to the Select Committee on the Establishment of an ACT Public Service on 11 May. The motion of referral stated that "upon the Committee presenting its report to the Assembly resumption of the debate on the question 'That this Bill be agreed to in principle' be set down as an order of the day for the next sitting.".
Accordingly, following the tabling of that Committee's report on 16 June, the Bill returned to the Notice Paper. It may be moved higher on the Notice Paper in the usual manner.
The Select Committee recommended that the stand alone whistleblower legislation be considered by the Standing Committee on the Public Sector, and such legislation falls within the Committee's terms of reference, although the Assembly has not given the Standing Committee any specific reference in relation to that matter.
Mr Berry: But it is already being considered.
MR DE DOMENICO: Mr Berry, the Bill has not been referred to the committee.
Mr Berry: It is being considered by the committee.
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