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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 1 Hansard (30 April) . . Page.. 222 ..

MS CARNELL (continuing):

I was disappointed, I have to say, with Mr Stanhope's speech because just two days ago Mr Stanhope, in his inaugural speech, made the point that this was a brave new world for the Labor Party; that this brave new world was going to be about less adversarial approaches and all of those sorts of things.

Mr Stanhope: You will choke, Chief Minister.

MS CARNELL: They are not my comments; they are those of those opposite. I agree that this was the Labor Party's idea. We took it on board because it was a good idea. We will continue to take that approach, as we did for the last three years, and as we will in the future. It was fascinating that just two days later, Mr Speaker, just two days after those wonderful comments, Mr Stanhope could not even accept and could not even be gracious in a situation like this. That really does not matter, Mr Speaker. Anyway, that is fine, Mr Speaker. We are very happy that we do have the support of the Assembly on this issue. I am confident that this committee will bring forward some very real reforms or will support some very real reforms to this Assembly, ones that will mean that we will serve the people of Canberra even better.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

MR SPEAKER: I present a report of the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure entitled "Standing Order 8, Temporary Deputy Speakers".

MR CORBELL (11.30): I move:

That the report be adopted.

On behalf of the Administration and Procedure Committee, I would like to indicate that this is a unanimous report of the committee which emphasises the importance of ensuring that all parties in the Assembly and all groupings and Independent members of the Assembly are represented in the various positions and forums that we have in this place. One that has been a matter of some oversight for a period of time has been the positions of Temporary Deputy Speaker.

Currently the standing orders provide for two Temporary Deputy Speakers and, by convention, they have been chosen from the Government and Opposition sides of the chamber. At the request of the crossbenchers, the Administration and Procedure Committee has considered whether or not it is appropriate to provide for a third person to be nominated from the crossbenchers collectively so that all groupings in the Assembly are represented on the panel that can replace the Speaker from time to time, and the Deputy Speaker if he also is unable to chair the Assembly. I think it is a sensible recommendation and I urge the Assembly to support it.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

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