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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 1 Hansard (15 February) . . Page.. 29 ..
Debate (on motion by Mr Berry ) adjourned.
MR STANHOPE: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. On 11 November last year the Chief Minister announced the appointment of former Chairman of the National Crime Authority, Mr Tom Sherman, to make an independent assessment of the ACT Public Service in relation to comments made in the coroner's report into the failed Canberra Hospital implosion. The Canberra Times reported the Chief Minister as saying:
"...it's appropriate to have somebody at arms length, who would be regarded as very knowledgeable in this area, to have an independent look at it and make sure we have taken the recommendations on board."
However, on 15 December, the head of the Chief Minister's Department, Mr Rod Gilmour, told the Select Committee on Government Contracting and Procurement Processes that Mr Sherman would not, in fact, be undertaking a review of government administration in light of the coroner's report. Mr Gilmour said, rather, that Mr Sherman would be reviewing the Government's response to the coroner to assess its adequacy. Can the Chief Minister tell the Assembly just what Mr Sherman's task is?
MS CARNELL: Mr Sherman's task is to review the Public Service response to the coroner's inquiry, and it will be tabled on Thursday, Mr Speaker.
MR STANHOPE: Oh, thank you.
Ms Carnell: Is that the supplementary question?
MR STANHOPE: No, but it goes to that, Chief Minister, quite obviously. I wonder whether the Chief Minister would agree that there is a significant difference between Mr Sherman ensuring the coroner's report recommendations and other matters raised by the coroner relevant to the ACT Public Service are addressed in current practices and procedures, as she said in her media release, and his being asked to look at our response to those issues and to give us some advice as to the adequacy of the response to those issues, as Mr Gilmour told the committee. I wonder whether the Chief Minister could tell us what prompted the change in the Government's attitude to Mr Sherman's appointment.
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