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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 9 Hansard (22 November) . . Page.. 2282 ..

MS HORODNY: I have a supplementary question. Will the Minister table the results of the analysis by the Department of Health, and will consumers be informed?

MRS CARNELL: I have read into Hansard the results, I think quite accurately, but I am happy to table anything else. There is no more information than what I have read out. As I said, a press release is currently being prepared to go out to the people of Canberra to inform them that they should handle fruit from Queensland with care. They certainly should wash it and not eat the skin.

MS McRAE: My question is to Mr De Domenico in his capacity as Minister for Industrial Relations. Minister, is it true that you have rejected the key recommendation of the Select Committee on Workers Compensation - that is, to set up a statutory body to take over the activities of WorkCover, including the Occupational Health and Safety Inspectorate; to take responsibility for rehabilitation of workplace injured ACTGS employees; to be the agency representing the ACT Government Service on the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission; and to have appropriate and effective enforcement powers?

MR DE DOMENICO: I thank Ms McRae for her question. At this stage the Government has not responded officially to the recommendations of that committee. The Government will be introducing legislation tomorrow to take into account some of the committee's recommendations. Encapsulated in those amendments to certain pieces of legislation you will find most of the recommendations of that committee.

MS McRAE: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. At what point will the decision be made about the statutory body?

MR DE DOMENICO: The Government is yet to determine in which way the recommendation to establish a statutory body ought to be taken into account. It may mean that we can take that recommendation into account by amending existing legislation, which would enable us to establish similar things to what the committee wanted without establishing another quango. This would mean less money being spent for the people of the ACT, and in a more cost-effective way.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, yesterday in the house you made a statement that the Stein report had found no evidence of corruption with regard to the Secretary of the Department of the Environment, Land and Planning, and I accept that. However, the same report makes absolutely scathing comments about the control and administration of the department where he had had responsibility for land and planning for quite a number of years. What action will you be taking in response to those indictments, considering that you announced the reappointment of two other senior officers in what were relatively minor positions compared to his in that department?

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