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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (6 November) . . Page.. 3710 ..

Clause 7

MS TUCKER (12.11): I move:

Page 5, line 17, paragraph (b), omit the paragraph, substitute the following paragraph:

"(b) to facilitate an appropriate balance between efficiency and environmental and social considerations;".

This amendment modifies the objectives of the commission to ensure that efficiency is not the sole criterion in assessing regulated industries. The amendment makes clear that questions of efficiency have to be balanced against environmental and social considerations. This amendment is consistent with the criteria by which the commissioner is required to make price directions under clause 19, where the ecologically sustainable development principles and the social impacts of decisions are included as criteria for the commissioner to consider.

MR KAINE (Minister for Urban Services) (12.12): Mr Speaker, the Government has no objection to this amendment.

MR MOORE (12.12): Mr Speaker, I take this opportunity to congratulate Ms Tucker. There have been quite a number of pieces of legislation where Ms Tucker has drawn to our attention this particular consideration about our environmental and social conscience. I think credit goes to her for drawing these issues to our attention. When we are dealing with these sorts of issues, it is often very easy to get caught up in the economics of the situation. Certainly, the general push from the media these days is to put the economic considerations first and foremost. We all know about the financial indicators that are mentioned on the radio every second hour; but I think that, in the long term, we probably ought to be establishing some social and environmental indicators so that the community can get an interest in things beyond whether we have had a look at the increase in the stock market today, a drop in the value of the dollar or, in this case, the efficiency of a particular organisation. Of course, it cannot be done in isolation from efficiency. That is very important. Ms Tucker has worded it in a way that still does take that into account. I think it is an appropriate time to give credit where it is due.

Mr Humphries: He must want your vote for something this afternoon.

MR WHITECROSS (12.14): Mr Humphries clearly does not understand that the crossbenches do not do that sort of thing. The Labor Party will be supporting this amendment. I concur with the remarks of Mr Moore and Ms Tucker that environmental and social considerations ought to be an important part of our consideration of public institutions and our regulation of public affairs in all its aspects. Whilst we are more than happy to support this amendment, I also have a view that efficiency is perhaps much more a term of art than environmental and social considerations, and that this will provide some challenges for the commission. Whilst I believe that all organisations should take account of environmental sustainability and social justice, I believe that sometimes the best results in advancing environmental and social justice causes are achieved by having people who are specialists in those things consider those matters

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