Page 140 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 9 December 2008
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used to display as Treasurer continues under this Treasurer. I would suggest that the Greens take very careful note of that arrogant attitude, because unless we bring it to heel today and unless we put proper scrutiny in place, they will continue to spend in this way.
One of the key roles of any parliament is to scrutinise spending proposals from the government of the day, and in this case there should be no exception, particularly when the bill is not what the minister described. This inquiry can be completed relatively quickly. It will not take long, and the motion I have put forward says that the committee can meet and report by the 17th, next Wednesday, and we can have an additional day’s sitting. If it really is urgent and you want this money in the community, we can meet for an additional day next week. We are quite happy to come back and sit next Friday. It would not have to take long, but if you need it before Christmas then we are happy to give it to you. But you will only get it, as far as we are concerned, after there has been appropriate scrutiny.
The inquiry can be completed relatively quickly. Indeed, there are many examples where the Assembly has acted very quickly with regard to a supplementary appropriation bill. I note that the agreement that was tabled today that has been implemented between the Labor Party and the Greens gives considerable prominence to enhancing the accountability of the executive and achieving higher standards of transparency and responsibility. Those are your words: “achieving higher standards of transparency and responsibility”. Well, let us start today. Let us not start next week or next year; let us start today.
As recently as this morning, I am aware that the convenor of the ACT Greens was quoted on ABC radio as emphasising how they would be seeking enhanced accountability with legislation. The treatment of this bill should be no exception. In fact, as a bill proposing the spending of public funds, it should be subject to appropriate scrutiny before it is passed by the parliament. I am aware that claims have been made that some of the provisions in the bill are urgent. Perhaps that needs to be justified, but it can also be done very quickly.
I do not think for a moment that any of us will stand in the way of these additional payments, but we need to be told what they are and how they will be expended. I am aware, Mr Speaker—and you were not here and others were not here—that years ago there was a $10 million Treasurer’s advance a couple of days before the end of the financial year; $10 million for urgent fire safety work that took almost five years to deliver. It was urgent one day, and it took five years to deliver. The Auditor-General of the day said that it verged on being illegal; that appropriate scrutiny did not occur, and it should.
As I have already said, it has been five weeks since the Assembly was sworn in and even longer since the government knew that they were going to be in government. They could have been acting on this. Governments with vision, governments with zeal, governments with agendas, act quickly. They come back and they pass these bills to implement their policies. They did not do this. Five weeks later—
Mr Corbell: That’s what we want to do. You’re stopping us.
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