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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 5 Hansard (25 August) . . Page.. 1248 ..

MS CARNELL (continuing):

I would like to restate the comments I made at the commencement of the autumn sitting period on the need for open communication in legislative planning and preparation for debate in this place. The Review of Governance of the Australian Capital Territory recommended:

In order to facilitate orderly business, and in order to allow for good financial management of the Assembly, non-Executive members should normally be expected, as the Executive is expected, to give notice of the bills that they plan to bring forward in each quarter.

I note that my colleague Mr Moore has stated his support for private members developing their own approaches to forward planning and his intention to do so himself. I trust the Opposition and all non-Government members will make similar commitments to ensure the effective and efficient use of the resources of the Territory and the Assembly in disclosing their legislative plans.

Mr Speaker, the silence of members on their legislative plans has a detrimental effect on the resources of the Office of Parliamentary Counsel. If members do not declare their legislative intentions, legislation may be developed which is unnecessary or duplicated. If all legislative priorities were disclosed, it would be possible for negotiation between members to occur at any early stage of drafting, which could also assist debate on Bills in this place.

Mr Speaker, I commend this paper to the Assembly and I do urge those opposite and members of the crossbench to think seriously about putting their legislative programs on the table to ensure that their Bills, as well as Government Bills, have an opportunity to be drafted in a timely fashion.

MS CARNELL (Chief Minister and Treasurer): Mr Speaker, for the information of members I present, pursuant to subsection 29(3) of the Cultural Facilities Corporation Act 1997, the second quarterly report, for the period 1 January 1998 to 31 March 1998, of the Cultural Facilities Corporation.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General, Minister for Justice and Community Safety and Minister Assisting the Treasurer): Mr Speaker, for the information of members I present, pursuant to section 6 of the Subordinate Laws Act 1989, subordinate legislation in accordance with the schedule of gazettal notices circulated and notices of commencement as listed.

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