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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 4 Hansard (10 April) . . Page.. 938 ..
Annual reports-implementation of committee recommendations
Debate resumed from 21 February, 2002, on motion by Ms Tucker .
That:
(1) this Assembly calls upon the Chief Minister to include in any relevant instrument relating to the information to be included in annual reports made pursuant to the provisions of the Annual Reports (Government Agencies) Act 1995 directions to include a schedule outlining action that has been achieved and is in progress on the implementation of recommendations of Assembly standing and select committees that have been accepted by the Government of the day in any response to those committee reports;
(2) this provision commence in relation to the current Government's responses to committee reports of the Fourth Assembly, and, after initial publication, the schedules included in subsequent annual reports only need include information required on achievements in the relevant period and action that remains outstanding; and
(3) this resolution have effect from the commencement of the Fifth Assembly and continue in force unless and until amended or repealed by this or a subsequent Assembly or the relevant provisions of the legislation are amended by an Assembly.
MR QUINLAN (Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Business and Tourism, Minister for Sport, Racing and Gaming and Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Corrections) (4.37): I move the following amendment:
Omit all words after "That", and substitute:
(1) this Assembly calls upon the Chief Minister to table on the last sitting day of each calendar year a schedule outlining action that has been achieved and is in progress on the implementation of recommendations of Assembly standing and select committees that have been accepted by the Government of the day in any response to those committee reports;
(2) this provision commence in relation to the current government's responses to committee reports of the Fourth Assembly, and, after initial publication, the schedules only need include information required on achievements in the relevant period and action that remains outstanding; and
(3) this resolution have effect from the commencement of the Fifth Assembly and continue in force unless and until amended or repealed by this or a subsequent Assembly or the relevant provisions of the legislation are amended by the Assembly.
We support the general thrust of Ms Tucker's motion. However, I am concerned to ensure that we do not clag up the process of production of annual reports and the audit process. The way the motion is written we would have these assessments included in annual reports. Under the annual reports legislation, the Chief Minister defines the time limits on the production of financial statements, the auditing of financial statements and the tabling of annual reports. However, there is a limitation in the legislation. The period for the production of the annual reports cannot be any longer than 10 weeks, which means that annual reports have to be completed by 15 September at the latest.
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