Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 11 Hansard (8 December) . . Page.. 3277 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

I would like to make the point to Mr Osborne and Mr Rugendyke that in my discussions it was quite clear to me that that was our intention. I believe that when we debated that motion there was an expectation by everybody that the select committee would be reporting on 16 February. That was in our minds and that was the arrangement when we made our decision just 10 days ago. The Government is now reneging on that and winding it back, and there is absolutely no need to do that.

The other point I would make is to re-emphasise the seriousness of this issue and the complexity of it. Today there have appeared in the debate two significant reports. I am aware of the coincidence of the one from the Auditor-General appearing today. On the day that the Bill that we spent an entire day debating was listed for debate, that report appeared two-thirds of the way through the day, after most of us had spoken to the Bill. Two-thirds of the way through the debate on the most important piece of legislation to come before the Assembly this year, after the majority of us had spoken to it, a significant document was tabled. I note from the appendix that the document was the subject of discussions between the Chief Minister's Department and the Auditor-General at least as early as 11 November. A draft was probably provided to the Government.

Ms Carnell: As they all are.

MR STANHOPE: Yes, as they all are, as the Chief Minister says. But I did not have the benefit of it. I made my contribution to the debate today in ignorance of the existence of that report, as did many of us. It is an unfortunate coincidence that it happened that way. I think it is extremely unfortunate.

Ms Carnell: What are you saying? Are you suggesting that the Auditor-General did something?

MR STANHOPE: What I am suggesting is that we spent the day debating a matter in relation to which there was a most significant report which most of us contributing to the debate did not know about so could not have regard to in our contributions.

Mr Moore: You do now.

MR STANHOPE: Yes, after we have spent the day debating it. That is my very point. We have established a committee that is charged with a very difficult responsibility. We have heard some suggestions made today in relation to the other report which became public today, the report of the Australia Institute. We have seen the readiness with which members of the Government see fit to damn and defame it and the authors. I am most disturbed by Mr Moore's suggestion that it somehow contains a $1 billion error.

Ms Carnell: It does.

MR STANHOPE: We will see about that. This is a report refereed by Professor John Nevile, Mr Fred Argy and Professor Steve Dowrick, three of the most senior and respected economists in Australia.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .