Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

None . . Page.. 945 ..

I wondered whether other people had read it in the same way as Mr Humphries had read it, according to his remarks in the in-principle stage of the debate. I must say, Mr Speaker, that when I read the Bill I read it in that way as well. It was only when Mr Whitecross drew it to my attention that I said, “No, I do not think that is right. I would like to take some advice on that”. We consulted Mr Hunt, who went through it with us, and found that Mr Whitecross was absolutely right in this. We now have the opportunity, through Mr Whitecross's care, to ensure that the Public Interest Disclosure Act does apply to ACTEW, as it should, and as the current Chief Minister, in introducing that legislation last year, certainly intended it to apply. So, this sort of legislation in one form or another was unanimously accepted by the Assembly last year, and I think it is important that it apply.

Amendment agreed to.

MR SPEAKER: Where are we now, Mr Whitecross? Are we moving on to your amendments on the yellow sheet?

MR WHITECROSS (11.33): Mr Speaker, my amendments on the yellow sheet, excellent though they are, were consequential on an amendment that was defeated earlier.

MR DE DOMENICO (Minister for Urban Services) (11.34): Mr Speaker, I move:

Page 5, line 33, insert the following items:

“Subsection 3(1) (definition of ‘officer’, paragraph (b)) -

Omit ‘or’ (last occurring).

“Subsection 3(1) (definition of ‘officer’, paragraph (c)) -

Add at the end ‘or’.

Subsection 3(1) (definition of ‘officer’) -

Add at the end the following paragraph:

‘(d) a person who is to be taken to be an officer in accordance with section 115A;’.”.

I table supplementary explanatory memorandums for the amendments I moved previously and for those relating to this Bill. My amendment expands the definition of “officer” in the Act consequential upon the insertion of a new section 115A into the Act. This new section preserves existing mobility arrangements between ACTEW and the Australian Public Service for existing employees following corporatisation on 1 July 1995.

We listened to Mr Berry talk about Liberal governments and corporatisation and how they are not going to look after the workers or what have you. I note that Mrs Carnell wrote to Mr Gary Johns, the Assistant Minister for Industrial Relations, seeking his

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .