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NOES, 8 . . Page.. 917 ..

Policy and procedures on issues such as EEO, industrial democracy, occupational health and safety, and recruitment will continue to be implemented and maintained to the high standard of the leading role that ACTEW has previously established. Any changes to conditions of employment will be negotiated through the enterprise bargaining process with all relevant parties.

Mr Speaker, ACTEW Corporation Ltd will be accountable to the Assembly and the people of Canberra by virtue of the requirement that it file a statement of corporate intent under clause 20 of the TOC Act and under the Commonwealth Corporations Law. This must be submitted by the company's board of directors to the voting shareholders within three months of ACTEW becoming a Territory-owned corporation and within one month of the beginning of each subsequent financial year. The voting shareholders must, in turn, table it in the Assembly. This document must address the following issues: The description of the main activities of the corporation; a description of the nature and scope of the activities to be undertaken, including ACTEW's major new work and participation in the national electricity market; its business and corporate strategies, which will be included in ACTEW's corporate plan and programs; the environmental goals and objectives of the corporation, including the environmental management strategy and the environmental action plan; stated targets and performance measures, generally as per ACTEW's financial plan but also addressing key performance indicators in relation to the environmental and human resource matters; and any other relevant information that may relate to the activities, business or management of ACTEW. Mr Speaker, I reiterate that this reform is not driven by ideology, although opposition to it is. It is a reform whose time has come. It must come about. The workers and management of ACTEW realise this, as does the Trades and Labour Council. It seems to me that it is only the Labor Party which averts its eyes from reality and would prefer to damage a valuable community asset on the altar of ideological purity. I commend the Bill to the house.

Question put:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

The Assembly voted -

Question so resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

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