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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 5009 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

Madam Deputy Speaker, the first comment I would like to make relates to Roger Smeed. Yesterday Mr Berry indicated in this place that Roger Smeed should be sacked. I feel very strongly about this. Roger Smeed is a member of the ACTTAB board. I think he was appointed by David Lamont, not by us. I know that he is not close to the Liberal Party. He is a public servant who has been on a board that a report has just suggested did a great job.

Mr Berry: He is the chief executive officer.

MRS CARNELL: He is also on the board. I think that is what the Burbidge report said about the new ACTTAB board - that they have managed to turn ACTTAB around from having a significant financial problem to doing extraordinarily well over the last couple of years, particularly over the last year. In fact, the Burbidge report indicated that the current board had acted appropriately and had done the right thing. Madam Deputy Speaker, I do not think it is terribly fair to suggest that somebody who is on a board that has just been regarded as doing a pretty good job through a pretty tough time - - -

Mr Berry: That is not what Burbidge said about him.

MRS CARNELL: He did say that the current board had done a good job and had reacted appropriately under pretty difficult circumstances. From my perspective, even though Mr Smeed is not an appointee of this Government, I think that is something that needs to be said. The current ACTTAB board, not predominantly appointed by us but put in place under the previous Government, at least for a little while, have done a great job and have been through a really very tough time. I think it is important to make that comment.

Madam Deputy Speaker, the other thing I would like to make a comment about is inducements generally. I think this shows just how important it is in a unicameral parliament to react and to investigate issues that are brought forward, no matter who brings them forward. It has certainly been a lesson I have learnt. There will never be a time, if I ever have another day in this job, which I may not, when I will not make sure that comments or concerns that are brought forward by any member of this Assembly are not properly investigated. Certainly, there are times when the adversarial nature of this place can make you think that everything the other side says is necessarily rubbish. This was not rubbish, Madam Deputy Speaker; it was right. If Mr Berry had reacted and investigated when we first brought this forward - the group that came to see me went to see Mr Berry first - this $5.3m cost may never have happened.

The other thing that I think is really important is that we must make sure in this Assembly that we never again appoint mates to boards. It is absolutely essential and it is a lesson that we all need to learn. Members of a board running significant ACT finances need to have very real - - -

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