Page 4597 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 6 December 1994
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Additionally, we are now in a position where we might wish to consider how we deal with the need for whistleblowing and the sorts of problems that occur in whistleblowing in the private sector. But that is not something that we can deal with lightly, and it is certainly not something that we could have dealt with in the time that was available to us in addressing these issues. So, dealing with the private or non-government sector was something that could not have occurred in the time available to us. My view is that the majority of the committee were in error in suggesting that the Government should go to the trouble of supporting the Public Interest Disclosure Bill, which has been proposed by Mrs Carnell, merely to accommodate the views of the committee, because the investigation is incomplete and it would leave some matters undiscovered. It is something which could well be considered before coming down with final recommendations on the matter.
Mr Kaine is a wily politician. I note that he made some comment about the investigation which was conducted by the committee but carefully avoided the fact that we had no public inquiries to hear from the people who, as contractors or as people who had at some time worked in the public sector, might be affected in some way by whistleblower provisions. Essentially, what has happened is that the majority of the committee have relied on assumptions that people might be affected. There was no real evidence collected which showed that people were affected or were fearful of being affected. So, I think we have left some work to be done. I think it would be a shame if stand-alone legislation were now put in place and at the same time we undid that comprehensive legislation that no other State or Territory has had the opportunity to develop.
In terms of the public sector, we have put together a comprehensive package in the ACT that people throughout the country would be envious of. There is no question about that. I think we ought to be looking in more depth at what is required outside the government sector before we start mucking around with legislation which has, as its origins, a political decision. I am not satisfied that we have done our job properly yet, and that is why I submitted the dissenting report.
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the secretariat for the good-natured, hard work of putting together these reports. They are not always easy to put together. My experience has been that they always do it with enthusiasm. This report, with all its faults, is a report which is representative of the views of the committee members; but I think that it lost something in not going to a full examination of the issues.
Debate (on motion by Ms Follett) adjourned.
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