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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 6 Hansard (11 May) . . Page.. 1597 ..
MR MOORE (continuing):
In 1989, when I became involved in politics, when I was elected to this Assembly, I was seeking a better community and seeking change for a better community, as the vast majority of the 39 members and eight opposition leaders who have been through this place probably have. Looking back, I remember more than anything else the antagonism of the community to self-government. Whenever you went to a community meeting, the first thing that you did was set about justifying self-government, because as soon as somebody disagreed with anything at all that was going they would say, "We did not want you anyway". That happens occasionally now, but members would recognise that it is very rare.
What I sought to do, Mr Speaker, and what I have been committed to doing, falls into five categories - openness, accountability, involvement, stability and innovation. On openness, Mr Speaker, I am very proud of the Statutory Appointments Act, of the Interstate Agreements Act and of a consultation process which is sensible and focused on outcomes. On accountability, I have sought through each of my elections to have a sustainable and stable economy, but I have sought also to ensure that decisions made by government are reviewed by the Assembly through such things as the provisions of the legislation I put forward on disallowable instruments. I mention also the effort I put in on fair electoral systems, on proportional representation, as did other members of this Assembly.
In terms of stability in a parliament that operates as we do, I think the two elements of most importance are a guarantee for the budget and a guarantee that the Chief Minister will remain unless there is reprehensible conduct. We ought to be aware also of the innovation in this Assembly. There has been a constant series of small innovations. Mr Humphries drew attention to the fact that I sit on the government benches, but it is not just that. We see innovation also in the way the committee system works, the way people have been prepared to work together, and the way that committees have been chaired by a range of members across the Assembly rather than, as in the traditional way, a government member chairing all committees other than the public accounts committee, which is in the hands of the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Speaker, on two occasions I have been fortunate to be involved with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and it has been very interesting to me to observe parliaments both big and small. I have talked to people from other parliaments across the world, parliaments that are much smaller than ours and serve much smaller populations than ours and parliaments like that of the United Kingdom, or that of India, which serves millions and millions of people and whose electorates have a million people. It seems to me that this Assembly can hold its head up high. There is no doubt in my mind about that. Members who have attended CPA meetings - and most of us have attended or will attend those meetings - will understand that this Assembly, with its emphasis on democratic processes and with its innovation, has been able to move forward and enhance democracy and to work together for the good of the ACT. In the vast majority of our decisions, Mr Speaker, members here do work together for the good of the ACT.
There are, of course, issues that become issues of conflict and issues in the media. They are the ones which I think we have to be particularly wary about, but in the end it is far better that those issues be resolved here in this Assembly in the way that they are
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