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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 3 Hansard (28 May) . . Page.. 743 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

If the Government chooses to support the amendment which appoints Mr Kaine to the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety, that is a good thing and we support that. The Government may wish to move to divide the amendment which is being circulated, so that these two issues can be considered separately, so that Mr Kaine's membership of the Justice Committee is considered separately. I would be happy if one of my colleagues moved to allow the Assembly to consider these matters separately. Whilst the principle is the same, I think the Assembly might wish to express its view differently in respect of each of those matters. Expanding the committee on which the Government wishes to keep Mr Kaine and on which Mr Kaine wishes to serve sets something of a precedent for the expansion of other committees, I would argue.

I would also argue that some committees would be better served by having additional members on them. We already have a significant number on the Administration and Procedure Committee. I do not see any reason why the wider base of talent that we always talk about in this place cannot be put to good use on committees. That is why we will move to include Mr Corbell on the Urban Services Committee. It will broaden the base of talent which is being put to good use in this place. For the life of me, I cannot understand why people in this place who have been applauding that particular principle for ages would now oppose it. This is about broadening the base of talents which can be put to good use on committees. Therefore, I would urge the Assembly to support the expansion of both of those committees. These two issues will be considered separately if the amendment which I expect to be moved in due course is moved. Can I put it another way? I foreshadow an amendment.

MR SPEAKER: That is the only way you can do it.

MR BERRY: Mr Kaine has put forward an amendment. I urge the Assembly to support that amendment, and I foreshadow that once Mr Kaine's matter is dealt with I will move an amendment which has been circulated. It tends to get a bit confusing, because I have circulated an amendment.

MR SPEAKER: You have foreshadowed an amendment to Mr Kaine's amendment.

MR BERRY: Yes. Those are the principles that I support. Mr Kaine should be on the Justice and Community Safety Committee and Mr Corbell should be an additional member on the Standing Committee on Urban Services. Once Mr Kaine's amendment is dealt with, we will be able to deal with the amendment which will add Mr Corbell to the list of outstanding members on the Standing Committee on Urban Services.

MS TUCKER (4.02): I am quite happy to support Mr Kaine's amendment that he be on the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety. I do not follow Mr Humphries's argument. He is saying that they will support this only if we do something about the Urban Services Committee. Obviously, there are different arguments. I would expect Mr Humphries to put those arguments, but having two Labor members on a committee is another discussion. What we are talking about at the moment is Mr Kaine going on this committee, and I do not think you are going to help the debate if you try to link the two. There are different arguments. We decide, according to the merit of the proposal, whether we will change the number of people on a committee.

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