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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 11 Hansard (26 September) . . Page.. 3321 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

Leave granted.

MR STANHOPE: The government has now had the opportunity to consider the report and the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs inquiring into the size of the Assembly. I welcome the standing committee's report and am pleased to be able to table the government's response.

I want to take the opportunity to thank the members of the standing committee who have conducted this inquiry, and make particular note of the extensive level of consultation undertaken through the course of the inquiry, with the community, parliaments and local government bodies.

The report recognises that an increase in the number of members of the Assembly is both appropriate and overdue, and the government concurs with this view. The residents of the ACT are significantly under-represented in the political process, especially when compared with the level of representation in other states and the Northern Territory. For example, as members would be aware, the Northern Territory Assembly, with a much smaller, albeit geographically spread, electorate, has 25 members, and the Tasmanian parliament, with only a slightly larger electorate, has 40 members.

The comparisons are even more stark when it is recognised that local government representation has not been factored in-the current Assembly also performs this role. Additionally, the issues for government are becoming increasingly complex and the population is growing. The government believes that an increase is necessary in order for the Assembly to effectively function in the Westminster tradition.

Mr Speaker, I believe the ACT's experience of self-government since 1988 has demonstrated both its maturity and the public confidence in the ACT executive and Assembly as political bodies. The territory has the capacity and ability to govern itself free from federal government involvement. It is able to responsibly determine issues such as the size of its parliament and executive, and for it to have this responsibility is consistent with the way in which other states and territories are governed.

As members will be aware, I have held initial discussions with the minister for territories, Mr Tuckey, in relation to the issue of increasing the size of the Assembly, including the devolvement of the relevant power to do so from the Commonwealth to the territory. The devolvement of power issue is one that we will work towards in due course.

The more immediate approach is, however, where there is Assembly support to increase the size of the Assembly, to have the Commonwealth give effect to the required change by way of Commonwealth regulation. Mr Tuckey has indicated to me a willingness to consider this and all other issues that are appropriately brought to him. I am confident that the Commonwealth will cooperate in good faith on this.

Provision for an additional eight members is a significant, but I believe an appropriate and cost-effective initiative for addressing those deficiencies in the representation I have mentioned. As to other issues, members should note that the government supports the majority of the committee's recommendations, and has undertaken to further investigate

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