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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 7 Hansard (19 June) . . Page.. 2061 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

opportunities for us to debate issues affecting the Legislative Assembly, but this is one of them.

We had an interesting debate the other day, I thought, in relation to conventions as they apply in this place, and in the course of that debate I suggested that I feel there is a need for some codification or recording or reporting on those issues, or at least an approach to some work within the Assembly. I am not quite sure how that issue should be progressed, but I think it is one of those issues that are a responsibility of the secretariat.

I want to take this opportunity to say in relation to the future work of the secretariat and the future work that the Assembly might do that I think there are some areas that we do not debate, or talk about or discuss that do deserve some attention. One of those goes to the capacity that exists within the Assembly for the secretariat, for the Clerk or for the Clerk's support staff, to be involved in issues around the standing orders or the rules or the conventions that apply in the Assembly.

I make the point here today in the context of this debate. Whilst I do not disagree with the budget or the Appropriation Bill or the allocations in relation to the Assembly, I think we do not often enough take the opportunity to expand on the role the secretariat plays or might play under different arrangements or with different resourcing.

I note, for instance, that significant refinements were made to Hansard and the reporting of the proceedings of this place. I am not quite sure what savings were achieved as a result of the rationalisation of Hansard in reporting the place over the last year or two, but it is significant that reforms have been made. I think there are other reforms and refinements of the operations of the secretariat that should be made and considered in the Assembly. Some of those go to the role that the Clerk and his staff might play, for instance, in the development of an alternative practice or procedure for the Legislative Assembly.

In addition to that, there has been some discussion over the last few years in relation to the more appropriate role of the library in terms of the delivery of research capability and capacity to members. I have to say, from the perspective of non-executive members, that the possibility of the library providing a research service is something that we reflect on from time to time as a very significant addition to our capacity to do our jobs. Perhaps this is one of those issues that non-executive members have a different view on than do members of the executive and members of governments. I do not think we should look at the issue in terms of whether or not at the time of debate around this issue we happen to be in government or in opposition or occupying some other bench in the Assembly.

I would not like this opportunity to pass without saying that I think there are further reforms required within the Assembly. I think there are reforms in relation to the role of the Clerk and the Clerk's staff, particularly in relation to issues we have discussed around conventions and the operations of this place. I think there is a debate that we continue to need to have about a more appropriate research function within the library. I would like to see a forum within the Assembly for those debates to be progressed.

Proposed expenditure agreed to.

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