LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (BROADCASTING OF PROCEEDINGS) BILL 1995

MR MOORE (10.31): Mr Speaker, I present the Legislative Assembly (Broadcasting of Proceedings) Bill 1995.

Title read by Clerk.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, I move:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

Mr Speaker, I believe that it is rather appropriate that at the beginning of this Third Assembly the very first Bill introduced into the Assembly is one that would open up the Assembly procedures to further public scrutiny. There has been a great deal of debate over the last few months, as there was over the election period. People have talked constantly about more consultative and more open government. It seems to me that, if we are going to have more consultative and more open government, then it is appropriate that people should know precisely what is going on in the Assembly and should have access to that information.

The long title of the Bill, Mr Speaker, is “A Bill for an Act to facilitate the broadcasting of proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, and for other purposes”. We do not have the power the Federal Parliament has to demand that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation broadcast the proceedings. That is because we do not have control of any bodies such as the ABC; nor at this stage do I have any desire that we should have, although sometimes the temptation must be great to all of us. Nevertheless, Mr Speaker, I think it is appropriate that we facilitate the broadcasting of proceedings. All of us are aware of the times when something happens in the chamber and then we walk outside and go through the process of a press conference or a series of interviews for radio and television - not so much for the print media but certainly for the electronic media - in which, effectively, we repeat what happened in the house. It would be much more realistic and a much more accurate form of reporting if the voices of members speaking or visuals and the voices of members speaking could be used.

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