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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 2 Hansard (2 March) . . Page.. 552 ..
MR MOORE (continuing):
the Assembly committee arrangements can be quickly and easily accommodated. Finally, there is a protection for agencies providing information to the Auditor-General and the Assembly, ensuring that no legal actions can be taken to prevent disclosure in the Assembly.
There is no attempt to specify the role that the oversight committee should play. Rather, this is left to the good sense of MLAs on that committee. Every Assembly committee contains non-government members, so any attempt to use confidentiality for purely political ends would become much, much harder. There would be no VITAB confidentiality, just as there have been no political jobs-for-the-mates since the Statutory Appointments Act was adopted in 1994.
Obviously, the committee will need to exercise responsibility, and members will need to avoid mere grandstanding or serving their own political ends. But the transparency of the process should, once again, work to keep them responsible as any inappropriate handling of contracts will quickly be called to account.
In summary, this Bill will work by the simple device of exposing decision-makers at several levels to scrutiny, while still leaving room for the responsible management of genuinely sensitive commercial information. I hope that all of those who believe in fair and open government will support the legislation. I look forward to both the major parties and each of the crossbench MLAs in the Assembly supporting the adoption of this law as soon as possible.
Debate (on motion by Ms Carnell ) adjourned.
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
Debate (on motion by Mr Corbell ) adjourned.
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
MR CORBELL (4.53): Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Labor Party will be supporting this Bill today. It is a straightforward Bill to repeal the Cotter River Act of 1914 and also amendments in 1919, 1928 and 1931, all passed by the Federal Parliament. This Act was first put into place to protect the catchment of the Cotter River following the construction of the Cotter Dam. It was put in place to ensure that the catchment was not subject to pollution or abuse. It made sure that the Cotter was a river which could continue to provide safe drinking water to the then establishing Federal Capital Territory.
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