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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Thursday, 1 April 2004) . . Page.. 1484 ..

discussions in this report, and pay more respect and more attention to the role of the committees and our work on those committees.

In saying that, I am not willing to support the censure motion as moved. However, as I have indicated, I think it is important that this Assembly expresses its concern about the actions that led to Mrs Dunne stepping down from the planning and environment committee Aldi inquiry and the establishment of the privileges committee.

MS TUCKER (11.30): I am not supporting this censure motion. I, as chair of the committee, have considered the issue fairly closely. The committee recommended that no further action be taken. We were of the view that the ordeal of having to go through a privileges inquiry would be a difficult experience for anyone in this place—obviously, it was for Mrs Dunne—and that through that process hopefully there will be greater understanding by Mrs Dunne of the issues.

The blurring of the role of the inquirer versus the advocate was the subject of a lot of conversation in the committee process and the committee raised that point in its conclusions. That blurring of the role is central to this issue. It is something that I have seen misunderstood or abused by a number of members in this place over the years. I continue to see it.

There is a fine line between whether it is appropriate or inappropriate to send correspondence to me as an individual member rather than as chair of a committee or whatever. The situation there is a little bit vague. That is why I am very keen to see the recommendation picked up concerning professional development for members around these questions. I do not think that this is a simple matter and it is not just about new members, as I have said.

The position has been taken that Mrs Dunne had been a staffer here and should have known better, but I do not accept that. Even people who have been involved in the Assembly as members and who have not had experience of committees, particularly as the chair of one, will not necessarily understand the subtleties.

I remember very well my early experience here. Judith Henderson, if I am allowed to mention her in this regard, was an extremely important educator for me when I was chairing the social policy committee in my first term in office. I was literally a new member and the chair and I am very grateful for the fact that I was given the opportunity of benefiting from the expertise of Judith Henderson at that point. We spent a lot of time together in which she explained what were really quite new concepts for me in this place.

Mr Smyth probably would not mind my saying that he became the chair of an Assembly committee after having had extensive experience in this place and was quite unfamiliar with some of the conventions and expectations of a chair. He has been open to that and there has been a good process.

As I said when we tabled this report, this incident is a wake-up call for people and we do have to try to improve our understanding of these issues. I do not claim to understand everything; I am still asking questions when I am not sure what is clear and what is not. For me, the aim of this exercise is to improve the performance of every single one of us. This finding of contempt is serious in terms of Mrs Dunne’s situation. She has

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