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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 1 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 79 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

committee system based on government programs. We believe that this will provide the most positive and cost-effective contribution to the development and scrutiny of the territory's laws and government programs. We will substantially complete the ministerial code of conduct and reforms to question time and the timing of debates by March 2002.

ACT Labor accepts that Hare-Clarke is the electoral model that the people of Canberra have democratically determined is their preferred choice. We will not seek to abandon it. But there are aspects of the working of the system that warrant examination. There has already been some community debate about the appropriate size of the Assembly: the number of MLAs and how they might best be distributed in electorates. Labor understands the arguments for and against any increase. But the fundamental fact remains that we have a population of 312,000 governed by a parliament of 17 members. The size of the Assembly puts strains on the operations of the Assembly and on government. Labor wants the debate to continue. There will come a time-perhaps it has already come-when the size of Canberra warrants an increase in the number of electorates and members.

The public service will play a key role in achieving good government for the ACT. A strong public service serves the government well and, through it, the people of Canberra. The government supports the progress of reform and renewal that has already commenced. We will review this progress and refine it as necessary. But changes that we make to the ACT public service will not be "change for change's sake". We will return the public service to its traditional value set of responsibility, dedication, impartiality and professionalism.

During the first three to six months of next year, the government will finalise the review of the Public Sector Management Act being conducted by the Commissioner for Public Administration, Richard Moss. We have already taken action to re-establish a joint consultative council, as mandated by the Public Sector Management Act, so there can be open and constructive dialogue between management and unions.

As part of my government's strong commitment to the principles of openness and accountability, we will ensure that key accountability laws, such as the Freedom of Information Act and the Administrative Appeals Act, give effect to those principles. Not only will we ensure that we have the right legislative framework; we will also ensure that those tasked with implementing and managing the legislation do so in a way which gives effect to its spirit.

Work will commence shortly on a social plan for Canberra. This plan will be informed by a comprehensive analysis of Canberrans' needs for services and an exercise to map the services now provided by government and non-government organisations. The plan, a true focus on social capital, will address the social infrastructure, housing, access and equity needs of our community.

The need to undertake this work was made more significant by the publication last month of a report compiled by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling for the Smith Family. That report found that 13 per cent of all Australians live in poverty. While the situation in the ACT was found to be better than that applying nationally, the report still found that one in 12 Canberrans live in poverty. That bald statistic points to the need for the social plan we are committed to.

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