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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 2057 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

in the Assembly. As Mr Moore has pointed out, this includes the operation of Assembly committees. The legislation also permits greater access by public servants to the Assembly's proceedings, as we have heard, and ensures, I think, a much more responsive service to the Assembly, although I have to say the service we get is very good. This Bill provides for the transmission of Assembly proceedings to government offices and for broadcast to the public, subject to guidelines prepared by the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure.

The revised Bill has been developed following the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure on Mr Moore's earlier Bill and the Government response to those recommendations. It really has been a very collaborative effort, but it certainly would not have continued, shall we say, if Mr Moore had not been there pushing it the whole way through. I am sure we all supported it, but it certainly has been Mr Moore's drive that has got the Bill to the Assembly now. Accordingly, the Government is pleased to support this Bill in its current form. The Government, in its response to the standing committee's report, had agreed to support legislation, and the Bill has now progressed in that manner and in a manner that the Government feels very comfortable about, having incorporated the views of both the standing committee and the Government.

The Bill permits the Speaker to authorise the broadcasting of proceedings of the Assembly or of a committee of the Assembly to specified government offices. The standing committee had recommended authorisation of the broadcasting to offices of Public Service employees directly involved in activities associated with the business of the Assembly. The wording of the Bill overcomes any difficulties in defining which classes of government employees have access to direct broadcasts. The ability of the Speaker to make authorisations subject to conditions permits an element of control where that is necessary.

In its response to the committee's report, the Government's view was that wider broadcasting to the public should be limited to significant and landmark events, at least in the first instance. The Bill accommodates this by developing a process by which the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure will devise guidelines for public broadcasts. This may be varied or revoked, of course, by the Assembly. This is a satisfactory mechanism for all Assembly members to contribute to the development of appropriate guidelines for public broadcasting. The committee has recommended that the guidelines be gazetted. The process reflected in the Bill allows further refinement of this idea. The Bill provides for the standing committee to report to the Assembly on any guidelines developed. In many ways, discussion during debate in the Assembly provides a much greater public accessibility than, of course, any gazettal would, Mr Speaker.

The earlier Bill contained a penalties provision which has now been removed. Under the new Bill, this would be dealt with by the power of the Speaker to issue authorisations. If conditions are abused, the broadcaster could miss out next time.

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