Page 2428 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 22 August 2006
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should be put on the public record that in a unicameral parliament our committee system is the next layer, if you like, of checks and balances. I note that there has been a somewhat high turnover of staff in this area. Maybe that indicates the pressure under which these people find themselves having to perform on a day-to-day basis. So I ask that we take notice of that and ensure in future that we do not under-resource those areas most needed to give a greater level of scrutiny to the Canberra community.
MR BERRY (Ginninderra) (11.37): My job here is not to argue about the allocation for the Assembly but it is important for the purposes of the public debate, as the person responsible for many of the administrative decisions around the place, for me to say a few words about the Assembly budget. I note that the Assembly budget has had some mention in the estimates committee report and there has been some discussion at estimates committee about some of the services provided by the Secretariat as a result of the Assembly budget. Since the inception of self-government, these things have been growing steadily. The most important point that one has to consider is that it would be very difficult for the Assembly to argue, in the context of a budget that has to wrestle with competing interests for the government, that it should have its allocation enhanced significantly. I do not think that would be well received by the community. It has to be weighed up in the context of the overall budget and those political considerations that executive government have to weigh up from time to time.
I note the recommendation for increases in additional resources for the committee secretariat. I wonder how much would be enough. If the committee system were in receipt of greater resources, it would do more work and open up more areas, and submissions would be made and would need more work. I wonder where that would all stop. On the basis of the resources available, the committee office does exceptional work and it has surprised me in each term of office in this place just how much extra work it seems to be able to do with the resources available to it.
I note some comments that were made earlier in the discussions, one from Dr Foskey about transcripts. Of course, transcripts are up on the web these days. Submissions to committees will be soon. The reception room charge has become an issue as well. Changes are always consulted on through the process of the administration and procedure committee. There is debate for and against changes, which occur from time to time. There is a strong element of democracy so far as members are concerned in the operations of the Assembly. It is my intention to continue to consult fully with members of that committee because it is an extremely important process to maintain.
We had an issue here when the cost of staffing the reception area was seen as something that would impact on our overall ability to provide services in other areas, and we did not want to make those trade offs. Members will recall that an additional allocation has been made to hire venues, including the venue here at the Assembly, for contact with their constituencies. Members do this in different ways, right across the scene. Some members spend a lot of time out on the hustings, in shopping centres and with continuous campaigning. Others like to communicate in writing. Some send a leaflet to individual suburbs about the times they are going to be at particular shopping centres and they use the resources in their offices and the photocopying allowances, and so on, to do that. Other members try to hold meetings. Other members may send out an electorate-wide circular once a year. There is flexibility in the system.
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