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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 3 Hansard (9 March) . . Page.. 746 ..
MR MOORE (continuing):
The Cabinet members who served during that calendar year - in the first Follett Government and, for a few weeks, in the Kaine Alliance Government - are almost all still active in either public or private life in Canberra. Indeed, Mr Berry, Mr Kaine and Mr Humphries are still in this Assembly. I hope that they have nothing to fear from the opening of the records of 1989, and I hope that they will not feel any need to oppose this important reform.
Mr Speaker, I also note that Mr Osborne has circulated a motion to refer this legislation to his committee. I would hope that if this legislation is referred to Mr Osborne's committee the committee will report fairly rapidly. That committee has been looking for nearly two years at quite complex FOI legislation. This is not freedom of information legislation, although I think it could be considered a parallel. It is about exposing the Cabinet. I would be very comfortable about the legislation being examined by Mr Osborne's committee.
Debate (on motion by Mr Osborne ) adjourned.
MR OSBORNE (11.55): I seek leave to move a motion concerning the referral of the Executive Documents Release Bill 2000 to the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety as part of its inquiry into the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 1998.
Leave granted.
MR OSBORNE: Mr Speaker, I move:
That, notwithstanding the provisions of standing order 174:
(1) the Executive Documents Release Bill 2000 be referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety for inquiry and report as part of its inquiry into the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 1998; and
(2) on the Committee presenting its report on the Bill to the Assembly the resumption of debate on the question "That this Bill be agreed to in principle" be set down as an order of the day for the next sitting.
I think Mr Moore's Bill does sit very nicely with the FOI Bill which has been before the committee for a fair while now. I hope to have a report back to the Assembly before the middle of the year. I think the sensible thing to do is to have Mr Moore's legislation looked at in the context of FOI generally. I am sure that all on the committee would be pleased to welcome this Bill to complement our current inquiry.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
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