Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (19 February) . . Page.. 96 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

In New South Wales on 1 April the Government will introduce a new regime which allows hotels to have up to 30 machines, of which 15 can be modern poker machines. This Bill brings the ACT into line with the fairer small business policies in New South Wales but still constrains the number of gaming machines which can be installed. Mr Speaker, I know that interested parties will have positions to push in this debate, but I hope that everyone can acknowledge that fair policies ought to come before their own individual commercial interests. I commend the Bill to the Assembly.

Debate (on motion by Mrs Carnell) adjourned.

MR OSBORNE (11.30): I move:

That this Assembly:

(1) notes that the ACT Government has a minority of Members in the Assembly;

(2) notes that one-third of available Assembly time is currently set aside for business initiated by non-Government Members;

(3) notes the current lack of resources made available by the Government to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel for the purpose of assisting non-Government Members with their legislative requirements;

(4) calls on the Government, as a matter of urgency, to allocate sufficient resources to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to adequately provide for the legislative drafting requirements of all Assembly Members - including clearing the current backlog of outstanding requests for drafting assistance.

Mr Speaker, it is disappointing for me to be raising this matter in the Assembly today, and I do so only out of frustration. I do so because for some reason the Government has allowed the resources of the Parliamentary Counsel's Office to deteriorate to the point where they can no longer adequately serve the needs of this Assembly.

I would like to state, first of all, that over the past two years the service that my office has had from parliamentary counsel staff has been tremendous, when I have been able to get them to do my work. I have no problem with the work they have done for me. I want more of it, and that is why I am speaking today. I am sure that other members will agree with me that this group of staff are diligent and committed to their work, at times well beyond the call of duty. Unfortunately, however, it now appears that the 10 non-Government members in this Assembly have little or no expectation of being able to use the drafting resources of the Parliamentary Counsel's Office. That lack of access is just not on.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .