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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 13 Hansard (5 December) . . Page.. 4439 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

A list of organisations and individuals who were consulted; a list of those who undertook the consultation; an indication of when the consultation occurred; the response that was provided to the organisation; further plans for consultation and feedback that have been made in regard to any possible changes made by the Assembly; and an explanation, if no consultation took place.

Mr Speaker, I have no intention of doing that myself. I have no intention whatsoever, with the legislation that I have presented, of providing the consultation information. Indeed, the motion does not require me to. It simply requires it of the Government. I feel that it would be duplicitous of me, then, to demand of the Government what I am not prepared to provide myself. However, there is a difference. I think this is one of the points Ms McRae makes. There is a very large difference between those who have been elected to government and those who are working from the backbench - although, in this particular instance, there is a general issue of the consultative process.

Ms McRae indicated by way of an interjection that in my earlier speech in the Assembly I said that this needs more discussion and broader consideration. Indeed, one way of doing that is to refer it to a committee. Another way of doing it is the way that I have already been doing it myself, and that is talking to other members and generally discussing the issue. I am very reluctant to refer things to a committee where I believe that there is not going to be any change in outcome. For my own part, if other members of the Assembly feel that there is going to be a change in outcome and they may well be prepared to support this, I think it would be a very sensible approach for them then to put it through the committee process. Personally, sometimes I am interested in who was consulted on a piece of legislation. Generally, I am not. Therefore, it is not of great moment to me. So, I cannot see myself supporting this extra demand and the extra costs associated with public servants' time to ensure that this motion goes through.

Mr Speaker, it is my perception that the concept would not enhance the work of the Assembly in demanding it in respect of each and every piece of legislation. It is appropriate, with particular pieces of legislation, that members ask for this kind of information. I do not have a problem with this. As for putting it down as a general rule, I think the advantages are far outweighed by the disadvantages in terms of costs, in terms of processes that are necessary, and I think it just adds a layer of administrivia that will, as a general rule, add very little to the processes that are in place.

Labor did not use this technique. They did not put this in place when they were in government. It is still appropriate for them to now say, "This is a normal part of the evolutionary process that we are now at; so we are putting it up". I do not have a problem with that. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that they were not prepared to do it. They obviously perceive that they will be in government before too long and will have to meet these same demands. I think a better process is for them to demonstrate how they can do it when they are in government and then put it into place at that point.

For those reasons, Mr Speaker, I will not be supporting this motion, primarily because I am not prepared to take that kind of action myself. I am not prepared to present that information to the Assembly myself and I think that, on balance, the extra work outweighs the advantages of the information being provided.

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