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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 2 Hansard (2 March) . . Page.. 501 ..

PLANNING AND URBAN SERVICES - STANDING COMMITTEE

Report on. Betterment (Change of Use Charge)

Paper - Revised Dissenting Report

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, I seek leave of the Assembly to have the dissenting report circulated in my name appended to the report of the Planning and Urban Services Committee submitted this morning as my dissenting report.

Leave granted.

Mr Smyth: Mr Speaker, it is already attached to the - - -

MR CORBELL: No, there is an error. There is an omission.

MR SPEAKER: Would you mind tabling your revised copy? It is a revised copy, is it?

MR CORBELL: It is a revised copy, Mr Speaker. Recommendation No. 2 is missing from the copy circulated this morning. It corrects that omission. I seek leave to table the document.

Leave granted.

ADMINISTRATION AND PROCEDURE - STANDING COMMITTEE

Protocol for Government Interaction with Assembly Committees

Debate resumed from 26 August, 1999, on motion by Mr Corbell:

That the report be noted.

MS CARNELL (Chief Minister) (12.01): The Protocol for Government Interaction with Assembly Committees was initiated by the Government. The position of the Government was to confirm with members the procedures for the interaction of Ministers and public servants in Assembly committee inquiries. The Government has sought to reflect the tradition of the Westminster system in the protocol. The Minister is clearly identified as the central point of contact between the parliament and the Public Service. The Government is committed to this view. We see the Minister as responsible for the development of government policy and its administration, and as accountable to the Assembly. The Government's position of maintaining this responsibility of members is consistent with practice in other jurisdictions.

I am sure that the Opposition, in view of the fact that they may expect to form government at some stage in the future, should then expect to appear before a committee in this place one day. Governments of any composition - Liberal, Labor, coalition or alliance - would expect Ministers to take this level of responsibility. The role of public servants, on the other hand, is to support their Minister with factual and technical information and to remain removed from the political process.

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