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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 9 Hansard (21 November) . . Page.. 2199 ..

MRS CARNELL: We understand that we are a minority government, Mr Moore, and we will be working within those parameters to achieve the outcomes this report speaks about. The recommendations certainly are not in line with Liberal Party policy, but we believe that we can achieve the outcomes the report talks about within the recommendations put forward. Certainly, that will require some changes in the approaches we have taken in the past. The bottom line here is to achieve an outcome that everyone can be confident about. It means that, whether they be commercial or residential leases in the future, people have to know the rules. I believe that they should be in legislation; there is some thought that some of them are and some of them are not. I believe that that is the approach this Assembly should take, so that people who have commercial or residential leases know exactly what the rules are, how much money they may be up for, and when they will be up for it.

MR CONNOLLY: Mr Speaker, my question is to Mr De Domenico in his capacity as Minister for Industrial Relations.

Mr Berry: Minister for interference.

MR CONNOLLY: Yes, indeed, Minister for interference, as we see in notes from his public servants to their superiors complaining about the conduct of his private office. Thank you, Mr Hird, for your dorothy dixer.

Mrs Carnell: You would have had one or two of those in your day, Mr Connolly. We can still see the marks on the walls.

MR CONNOLLY: Why do you not go outside and say that, Mrs Carnell?

My question is in relation to the appointment of a Mr Houlihan as an adviser or consultant to the ACT Government on industrial relations. Were you, as Minister for Industrial Relations, consulted on the terms of reference for this consultancy, the length of the consultancy, and the selection of the consultant to carry out the job? If not, why not?

MR DE DOMENICO: I thank Mr Connolly for his question. I am delighted to say that Mr Houlihan is a very fine appointment by the office of the Chief Minister.

Mr Berry: You would.

MR DE DOMENICO: I think Mr Connolly ought to be delighted with the appointment as well. As far as I am aware, Mr Houlihan was the vice-president of the Federated Clerks Union for a number of years, and has a very strong background in the labour movement, I am told. No, Mr Connolly, I was not consulted prior to the appointment of Mr Houlihan; nor should I have been, I have to say.

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