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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (18 February) . . Page.. 35 ..

MRS CARNELL: Thank you, Mr Speaker. On 1 January - it must have escaped Mr Wood's knowledge, even though I thought he would have realised it - Totalcare actually more than doubled in size. The job of the board has become significantly more complex and significantly more demanding, moving from what was a fairly small company into what is, I suspect, probably the second largest company in the ACT after ACTEW, certainly the second largest public sector one. I believe that that requires a level of expertise that may not have been present in all of the board members previously. Much as Mr Tolley provided great service to the board when the company was significantly different, for Mr Wood to suggest that Mr Costa does not have a significantly greater level of experience in this sort of corporate entity, I think, negates Mr Costa's quite significant expertise and experience.

MS HORODNY: I have a question for Mr Kaine, our new Minister for Urban Services. Mr Kaine, your predecessor, Mr De Domenico, established a Transport Reform Advisory Committee in 1995 to provide advice on the development, implementation and evaluation of transport reforms in the ACT, including the development of an integrated transport strategy for the ACT. It contained representatives from Planning and Urban Services bureaucracy and four community and union representatives. I understand that this committee met about half-a-dozen times and produced a progress report in May of last year. At our prompting, the Government included an environmental representative on that committee in the middle of 1996, but I understand that the committee has not met since that representative was appointed. We have now heard that this committee was disbanded by Mr De Domenico at the end of last year. Given the Government's lack of interest in this committee, does this mean that the Government does not believe that it needs an integrated transport strategy for the ACT?

MR KAINE: That was a long question based on a history that apparently concluded last year, so I am not sure that I can address the points raised by Ms Horodny. Rather than try to answer it, under the circumstances, I would do better to brief Ms Horodny privately or, if she prefers, I will simply take it on notice and come back when I have a full and comprehensive response to it.

MS HORODNY: I have a supplementary question that I would like Mr Kaine to take on notice as well. I understand that there has been some move to partly replace this Transport Reform Advisory Committee and, in doing that, the Government is establishing another committee to look at public transport. Could you give us details of the membership and terms of reference of this committee?

MR KAINE: I will take it on notice and answer it fully.

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