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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (8 April) . . Page.. 713 ..

MS HORODNY (continuing):

Mrs Carnell said in the Canberra Times just last month that the last thing she wanted was for this issue to become divisive. She did say that the RSL and Ms Rees seemed determined to make it divisive. I think it is unfortunate that Mrs Carnell herself has become very divisive on this issue, and it is up to Mrs Carnell now to try to find peace on this very issue.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Wood): Order! The discussion has concluded.

Motion (by Mr Humphries) agreed to, with the concurrence of an absolute majority:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the order of the day, Assembly business, relating to the appointment of the Select Committee on Estimates 1997-98, being called on forthwith.

Debate resumed.

MS McRAE (4.30): We stopped debating this motion this morning because there was some consternation about the idea that perhaps the Estimates Committee, for once in its existence, would have sufficient time to look at everything. Dear, oh dear! May I put on record that my experience as Estimates Committee chair has been a sorry litany of complaints from all concerned about the rush, and the rushed conditions under which everyone has had to work. From everyone who has been involved, all I have heard is pressure, pressure, pressure; too much rush; why do we have to do it this way and why do we not have enough time to do anything?

I take as totally spurious the argument as to whether we have or have not got the annual reports. I put on record that quite a few members on my side never read the annual reports. We did not have time. We had endless piles of paper, and the complaint at every Estimates Committee meeting was that people simply did not have time. My role as chair has been consistently one of saying, "Wind up now, please; next person, please; we are running out of time". We chose to do that out of consideration; so that we would work neither public servants nor politicians beyond normal working hours, I grant. But that still is no excuse, in my book, for rushing the process yet again.

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