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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 2 Hansard (10 March) . . Page.. 522 ..

SUPREME COURT (AMENDMENT) BILL (NO. 2) 1998

Debate resumed from 26 August 1998, on motion by Ms Tucker:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

Debate (on motion by Mr Osborne ) adjourned.

TERRITORY OWNED CORPORATIONS (AMENDMENT) BILL (NO. 2) 1998

Debate resumed from 17 February 1999, on motion by Mr Quinlan:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

MR RUGENDYKE (3.29): Mr Speaker, I see this Bill as a means of enhancing the role and input of Assembly committees in relation to the appointment of boards for Territory owned corporations. Apart from the positive attributes this presents to the committee system, I also view it as a positive addition for the government of the day. Openness and transparency can only promote credibility. This system will help quash the prospects of untoward innuendo regarding appointments. If appointments have to go through the process proposed by Mr Quinlan, there is less chance of the Government being accused of being part of a sweetheart deal. This Bill will assist in eliminating such rumours, which will add to the credibility of the Government, the Assembly and the committee system.

I note that the Government says that this Bill would be a constraint. I cannot agree with this thinking. The Government says that it is seeking the best performers. The thrust of this Bill is to ensure that the best performers are appointed. At the end of the day, we are talking about Territory owned corporations. These positions are prestigious and they are answerable to government. If people seeking appointment object to having their credentials scrutinised by an Assembly committee, we simply do not need them as directors. These are Territory owned corporations and we manage those by our rules. We should not be dictated to by prospective directors. I believe that involving the committee system will assist the appointments system, so I will be supporting the Bill.

MS CARNELL (Chief Minister and Treasurer): I seek leave to speak again, Mr Speaker.

Leave granted.

MS CARNELL: Thank you very much. Mr Speaker, the last time we debated this Bill, I made the point and I think many people have made the point - Mr Rugendyke, maybe Mr Osborne and others - that we do want the best possible people on our Territory owned corporations; that we want to make sure that the people who are running multimillion-dollar businesses on our behalf are the best possible people available.

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