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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 2085 ..

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I said that she may have. I do not think I said - - -

Mr Humphries: It is still outside the standing orders.

Mr Berry: I will withdraw that.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you.

MR CORBELL: My question is to the Chief Minister and it relates to the Fay Richwhite and Associates investigation of ACTEW. Chief Minister, are you aware that Fay Richwhite and Associates are part of the Business Roundtable in New Zealand - an economic rationalist, flat earth society, far right organisation which seeks to privatise public assets, and an organisation which advocates a minimalist state with almost no social security protection and total deregulation of the labour market? Do you believe it is appropriate to employ an organisation with this type of political philosophy?

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, the first question - - -

MR SPEAKER: How many more questions have you got there, Chief Minister?

MRS CARNELL: Actually, I have quite a few. In the first question Mr Whitecross indicated that the New South Wales Labor Government had actually employed Fay Richwhite. Do they employ people from the flat earth society?

MR CORBELL: I take that as a yes. Chief Minister, is it not the case that the reason why you are comfortable with employing Fay Richwhite and Associates is that their ideological philosophy about private ownership is close to your own view, which you have stated publicly, that it is not the role of government to provide services?

MRS CARNELL: I am happy to employ Fay Richwhite because I think most other governments in this country, Liberal and Labor, have employed them. They are merchant bankers. They are of very good standing. We asked for expressions of interest from four organisations that we believed to be qualified. Fay Richwhite were the successful tenderers.

MS TUCKER: My question is to the Attorney-General. In the Estimates Committee report it was recommended that the ACT Government inform the Assembly of what action is proposed for the private sector in the ACT in the absence of Commonwealth privacy laws in the private sector. The response from the Government appears to contain the totality of the advice we have requested. To summarise briefly, you said it would be impractical and counterproductive for the business sector in the ACT for the ACT Government to introduce its own legislation. What is your view of the interest of consumers in this question and the issue of privacy covering the private sector?

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