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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 1 Hansard (28 April) . . Page.. 19 ..

MR BERRY: I seek leave to present a copy of a petition.

Leave granted.

MR BERRY: I present a copy of a petition from 356 citizens relating to an increase in armed robberies and preventative measures.

MS CARNELL (Chief Minister and Treasurer): Mr Speaker, I seek leave to make a short statement with regard to the appointment of my new ministry.

Leave granted.

MS CARNELL: At the start of this new Assembly I think it is appropriate, for the interest of members and, of course, for the interest of the community as well, to introduce the new ministry that I have appointed. Obviously, as Chief Minister, I have taken treasury. The Chief Minister's Department now includes business, employment, tourism, information technology, the arts and responsibility for GBEs. Mr Humphries, as Deputy Chief Minister, is Minister for Justice and Community Safety. That includes responsibility for police, emergency services and fair trading. Mr Humphries will also assist me as Treasurer in a number of areas, particularly in the areas of GBEs, information technology and asset management. Mr Stefaniak, as Minister for Education, will have responsibility for areas such as children's, youth and family services and also sport and recreation. Brendan Smyth is the Minister for Urban Services. We welcome Brendan to the ministry on his first day as a Minister actually sitting in this place. His responsibilities include planning, transport, housing, environment and heritage.

Mr Speaker, I would also like to welcome Mr Moore as a Minister today. Mr Moore will be Minister for Health and Community Care, and that will include responsibility for mental health services and disability services. I do not think anybody doubts that the approach that we have taken with regard to asking Mr Moore, a member of the crossbenches, to become a Minister in this Carnell Government is an experiment. It is an experiment, though, based upon a quite large amount of work. The report of the Pettit inquiry - and later today we will table the report of the Review of the Governance of the Australian Capital Territory by Professor Philip Pettit - recommended that we appoint a fifth Minister, which I have done, and also suggested the basis upon which somebody who was not a member of government could be appointed as a Minister.

We have taken on board the recommendations of the Pettit committee with regard to the basis upon which a non-government member could become a Minister. Those recommendations include things such as spelling out the areas in which the new Minister would not necessarily be part of Cabinet solidarity; in other words, areas on which that person would not agree with the government of the day. Mr Speaker, I plan to table in a minute the basis of the negotiations with Mr Moore with regard to these issues.

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