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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (10 April) . . Page.. 867 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Mr Whitecross made reference to a letter that I sent to his committee in February of this year indicating my concern about what had happened. I want to read that letter to make perfectly clear what was said. Mr Whitecross suggested that I blamed public servants. I think the letter will prove that that is not exactly the case. I wrote:

I refer to your predecessor's letter of 17 May and 26 November 1996 concerning your Committee's review of the Auditor-General's report No. 6 of 1996 "Collection of Court Fines". I apologise for the delay in responding which I find unacceptable.

The delay is the result of a belief by the officer coordinating the project that, as the most significant findings of the Report relate to the collection of court fines and the deficiencies of the current system, a response was not possible until policy development in relation to the new fine default system has been finalised. I do not share that view and I expect my comments on the Auditor-General's report to be with you very shortly.

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Attorney-General's Department to ensure that all requests for comments by Assembly Committees are responded to in a timely fashion in future.

Mr Speaker, I regret that there was a view taken within my department that a response of the kind that was sought should await a policy decision by the Government as a whole. That was an understandable point of view to take in most cases but not acceptable in the context of a request from the Public Accounts Committee of the Assembly. I have rectified that problem. I have expressed regret to the committee that it was the position in the first place. I believe I can do no more in that matter. I think Mr Whitecross was a little bit churlish to take those matters in the way he did.

MR OSBORNE (12.25): I present Report No. 3 of the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs, entitled "Report of Inquiry into Guidelines for Assistance to Members for Legal Proceedings", together with a copy of the extracts of the minutes of proceedings. The report was circulated when the Assembly was not sitting, on 19 March 1997. I move:

That the report be noted.

Mr Speaker, this inquiry was referred to the committee on 20 February 1996. While it has taken 13 months for the committee to complete its inquiry, I believe that we have been thorough and have come up with a good report. The task assigned to the committee by the Assembly was to inquire into, and report on, the development of guidelines for the provision of legal assistance to members. The committee has done this and come up with a number of recommendations for the development of these guidelines.

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