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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 4 Hansard (18 April) . . Page.. 1117 ..

MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, I have no intention of shouting over these people - - -

MR SPEAKER: No, and I do not require you to.

MS FOLLETT: Thank you.

MR SPEAKER: Other members will have the chance to contribute to the debate, if they wish.

MS FOLLETT: On top of the closure of the FOI office, it gives me grave concern to see that there is now this massive reduction in the resources allocated to the Ombudsman's Office. I accept that the cut is not being made by the ACT Government and I trust, therefore, that the impact of that cut will not be felt in the ACT's jurisdiction; but I am very doubtful that that will be the case, because surely the Ombudsman must allocate her major resources to her most urgent and serious cases. We have no guarantees whatsoever that the ACT matters would fall into that category. I would like to hear Mr Humphries address that matter.

Mr Speaker, what we have seen from the Federal Government, of course, is the most massive double standard that it is possible to imagine in relation to accountability. On the one hand, we have seen the Federal Government make huge cuts to the Ombudsman's budget. The Ombudsman, of course - - -

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. We have to ask what relevance this has. We are debating the Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill, that is true; but we are talking about the ACT Ombudsman, in effect. The function Ms Follett is talking about is the Ombudsman's Federal function, which is not affected by either this Bill or anything else to do with the debate before us today. There is a common word, but that is about all there is.

MS FOLLETT: We are speaking about the same body, the same Ombudsman.

MR SPEAKER: We might concentrate on the legislation before us.

MS FOLLETT: Indeed, Mr Speaker. We are.

MR SPEAKER: Relating to the ACT.

MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, what we are debating here is an increase in the Ombudsman's jurisdiction in the ACT, and I believe that it is entirely relevant to refer to the fact that that same Ombudsman is subject to massive budget cuts by the body with whom we share their services - namely, the Federal Government. I think it is also fair to say that, while that particular Government seems to have no regard for accountability and the need to maintain accountability through the Ombudsman's Office, at the same time they have imposed all sorts of paternalistic levels of control on, and scrutiny over, ATSIC - the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.

MR SPEAKER: Relevance, Ms Follett.

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