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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 2054 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Mr Speaker, you do not have to spend very long in this place to realise that the ACT Legislative Assembly does things differently to other parliaments in Australia and perhaps around the world. We would like to think that we are proud of these differences of approach. Sometimes perhaps we are not. Whatever the case, we need to settle on the parameters of that operation and the exercise of powers and privileges that go with the operation of this parliament and the way that this parliament has evolved. In the longer term I think consideration will need to be given to extending privilege to publications along the lines presently available in respect of publications of the Federal Parliament. There is some doubt about how far the privileges that extend to the Hansard extend to other documents that are produced by the parliament or by parliamentary-type agencies. Perhaps that is a matter that can be dealt with not necessarily in the legislation that I have referred to in the next session dealing with powers and privileges generally but in legislation next year. It is a matter that we need to be clear about.

Mr Speaker, I will conclude by saying that the Assembly has been meeting for approximately eight years. It is appropriate that we finally start the process of codification of the powers and privileges of this place. It is also appropriate that we take the step of being able to bring electronic media into this place to record the proceedings in this place and to convey them to a range of sources that appropriately should be hearing the deliberations of this chamber at first-hand. One particular group of beneficiaries from this exercise, incidentally, will be public servants of the ACT who, in the past, have not legitimately been able to hear the workings of this place without there being a question of privilege raised.

The suggestion has been made - I thought initially it was a rather bizarre suggestion - that a public servant listening over some sort of closed-circuit system of sound reticulation or even, as has sometimes been the case, listening over the telephone to question time might actually be hearing things that were privileged; and, therefore, some transmission of the information in that way might constitute a breach of privilege. I do not think it has stopped a number of public servants listening in on question time over the telephone or in some other way. Nonetheless, that practice needs to be cleared up. Anybody who works for the Government ought to be able to see what is going on in important debates in this place or in question time; know what they should be doing as public servants of the Territory to comply with the wishes of the Government or of the Assembly, depending on the nature of the debate; and ensure that their work is done more efficiently as a result. Providing for the broadcasting of proceedings means that that can now occur in a legal way and that the interaction between the work of this place and the work of those advising us is smoother and better tailored to the task set.

Mr Speaker, I commend Mr Moore for this legislation. It has been important, from his point of view, I think, to put it on the table. I believe the legislation will receive the strong support of the house.

MR WHITECROSS (Leader of the Opposition) (11.39): The Labor Party and I will be enthusiastically supporting this legislation. I think it is a step forward for the Legislative Assembly. I say that without any great anticipation that this is something that the citizens of Canberra will be hanging out for or that they will be standing by their radios ready to tune into the Assembly. Nevertheless, I believe that electronic media are an important part of the process by which citizens of Canberra gain information about what goes on

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