Page 2381 - Week 07 - Thursday, 17 August 2006
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overseas and not able to attend a deliberative system. We said, “Isn’t technology good stuff? We have video conferencing and telephone hook-ups. Someone can be in Namibia and talk in the ACT if we have a quorum here.” Ms Tucker moved a motion and we were happy to vote for it.
Who stood in the way of holding deliberative meetings by way of electronic communication, which meant that Ms Macdonald would not have had to return? The Labor Party voted against that motion. On 28 August 2002 Mr Hargreaves said:
For example, if I decide to go to the Gold Coast for a holiday, and I still want to participate in deliberative sessions of this chamber I don’t think that should be on. I have a choice—I have a choice about whether I go or whether I don’t.
He went on to say:
I know when I went to London on the CPA trip not long ago it was bad luck. I can recall when my chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee said that he was going overseas on a holiday. If we required deliberative meetings, we were to make a phone call to him …
There is more. Who else jumped to the defence of the Luddites? Who else jumped up and said, “Let us not use electronic means?” It was none other than Minister Corbell, who said:
Equally, I think we do have to debate the issues between when a member is not able to attend and when they, through their own volition, choose not to be present. If a member chooses not to be present because they prefer to travel, then that is a different matter from being not able to be in a committee meeting, and I think that distinction has to be made. If you choose to travel, if you choose to take certain responsibilities that take you outside the Assembly, you should take those matters into account, in terms of what that means and the responsibilities as a committee member. But I think it is important to draw the distinction between discretionary activity—
that is, trips to Brisbane—
and activity which is your responsibility as a member.
And that means staying for deliberative sessions. Prior to that Mr Corbell said:
Secondly, I have a concern about the perception of how this place conducts its business. In a city where people expect their members to come to this place to do their business, and to be seen to be doing their business—either in this chamber or in public hearings—I am concerned about a provision of the standing orders that allows members to potentially not have to come to the Assembly to do their work, to not be in the city to do that. And I think we have to be cautious about a change to that situation.
Thank you, Minister Corbell!
MR SPEAKER: Order! The member’s time has expired.
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