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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (25 May) . . Page.. 1862 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

amendments we have in place have exactly the same number except one set has "WB" on them and one has "G" on them. They were prepared for me before you requested them. I can give you the dates if you want them. They are the same amendments. It is the same advice the government was given. There were five options.

This is about protecting the workers. If we are genuine, let us get above the ego and taking credit. You can have all the credit-I do not care. I am grateful for the opportunity to acknowledge that you have a passion about this. That is great. Put the passion aside and create something better. Make this bill work. We have the opportunity to make this bill work better for the workers.

Mr Berry: By accepting my amendments.

MR SMYTH: I know about your amendments. I had my own amendments, exactly the same as yours, a week and a bit before you did. I asked the Government Solicitor to look at the options. The best option is to create the corporation sole. The best option is to pass the government's bill tonight because it is the best, cleanest, neatest way to guarantee independence and integrity. It will achieve exactly what Mr Berry wants to achieve. It will achieve the will of the Assembly to protect workers. It will do it in a way different to what we proposed initially, but that is okay.

The will of the Assembly was not to follow the statutory authority model that I put forward in the first place. It is quite clear that the Assembly wants a model that works. It is quite clear that the coroner said we should have an independent statutory authority. It is quite clear that the government's bill should be supported tonight because it will achieve that. It will achieve everything Mr Berry wants. Full credit and full power to him on this issue. He got there first. That is okay. But what he has put forward is not as effective as it could be. The government's bill will make the legislation truly effective. It will protect workers' rights as best as we can through this Assembly, and it will be more effective long term. I would ask for support for the government's bill. It will build on what Mr Berry started and do the job better.

Question put:

The Assembly voted-

Ayes, 7  	Noes, 9

Ms Carnell  	Mr Berry
Mr Cornwell  	Mr Corbell
Mr Hird  	Mr Hargreaves
Mr Humphries  	Mr Osborne 
Mr Moore  	Mr Quinlan
Mr Smyth  	Mr Rugendyke
Mr Stefaniak  	Mr Stanhope
 		Ms Tucker
 		Mr Wood

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