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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 11 Hansard (8 December) . . Page.. 3269 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

This Assembly decided that the suitable timeframe was 16 February 1999. Why did the Assembly do that? The Assembly did that on the basis of the sitting calendar that was presented to the Assembly earlier that week. Earlier that week the Assembly resolved when the first sitting day would be. We looked at the first sitting day. We knew it was going to be 16 February 1999. We looked at the period of time between the establishment of the committee and the first sitting day and we saw that as an acceptable period of time for the select committee to do its work. You cannot interpret the decision of the Assembly in that regard in any other way if you are being honest and truthful with yourself. That is the basis on which this Assembly came to its decision.

What the Government is now proposing to do is shorten that time by a period of two weeks. The Government may say that we need a decision sooner because of the money that they allege we will lose if we do not sell. Mr Speaker, the Government has lost that debate. The Government lost that debate when the select committee was established. What they are trying to do now is recover and claw back a bit of ground by bringing the first sitting day next year forward by two weeks. That is what they are endeavouring to do now, but in the process of doing that they are shortening the period of time that this committee has available to complete its deliberation.

Mr Moore: Quite right, deliberately, and a very good idea it is too.

MR CORBELL: Mr Moore says, "Quite right, deliberately". He admits that they are doing it deliberately. That is because, as Mr Moore and the other members of the Government would probably freely acknowledge, they are not interested in the outcome of this inquiry. They just want to get on and sell ACTEW. That is their agenda. The Labor Party has decided that if there are members of this place who are undecided on the sale of ACTEW they should be given every opportunity to make the assessment on the issues they believe are important in relation to the sale. That is why we have established a select committee, for no other reason. That is the purpose. The terms of reference were agreed by this Assembly, Mr Moore.

The Government probably has a few sour grapes about this, and it is trying to claw back a bit of ground desperately by sneakily and underhandedly interpreting the standing orders in such a way as to change the first sitting day next year. They cannot present it in any other way. I put it to members that shortening the period of time available for the committee inquiry will result in a report which the committee will not have had as much time to consider and prepare as it would have had if the original date had been abided by. That is a regrettable occurrence if it is going to come about.

Mr Speaker, this motion is against the spirit of the resolution of the Assembly two weeks ago, if not against the letter. We all understand that shortening the period of time for the select committee's inquiry will result in a situation which suits the Government's agenda but certainly not the agenda of this Assembly.

MR SPEAKER: I am going to call on Mr Berry because he has an amendment. I think it would be useful, Mr Berry, to move it at this point to open up the debate so that the matter can be more broadly discussed.

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