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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 13 Hansard (9 December) . . Page.. 4090 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

Chief Minister indicated that these changes were made by the commissioner exercising the powers conferred on her by section 20 of the Public Sector Management Act which allows the commissioner to exercise the powers conferred on the chief executive. Can the Chief Minister say what specific chief executive power was exercised by the commissioner in this case, and will she identify the specific legislative provision for this?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I have to take that on notice. I just do not have the Act with me at the moment.

Mr Hird: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: It relates to questions to the Chief Minister in respect of the matter of public importance. I would ask for a ruling on standing order 117 (f), which states:

From those questions asked earlier, Sir, I would say that they are anticipating what is going to happen later this night.

MR SPEAKER: No, I cannot uphold the point order, Mr Hird, because it states quite clearly at 117 (f) "business pending on the Notice Paper". The matter of public importance is on the daily program.

Mr Hird: Thank you, Sir.

MR SPEAKER: I know it is rather line ball, but that is the situation, I am afraid.

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, my supplementary is also to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, why did you allow the Commissioner for Public Administration to set these new conditions for senior executives when section 251 of the Public Sector Management Act requires that such changes can only be made by the setting of a new standard, which must be approved, in writing, by you? Why was no standard approved to allow for these payments to be made? As a result, can the Chief Minister confirm that these payments have been made contrary to the Act?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I am advised they have not been made contrary to the Act and I did not know that Ms Webb had actually issued this direction, because it does not actually come to me.

MR QUINLAN: My question is to the Chief Minister. Given that the Government is relying heavily on the private sector to come to the party in relation to the V8 supercars, can we be assured that the Government will not hit up government agencies like ACTEW, Totalcare to take up the slack of corporate involvement, as we have done in other cases? And if the ACT Government does not provide corporate space for itself, what are we going to do about the ministerial staff and the bureaucrats who have become a regular feature at Bruce Stadium when the race is on?

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