Page 408 - Week 01 - Thursday, 11 December 2008
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Subclauses (1) and (2).
Subclause (3).
Subclauses (4) and (5).
Subclause (6).
Subclauses (7) and (8).
Subclauses (9) and (10).
Subclauses (11) and (12).
Subclauses (13) and (14).
Subclauses (15), (16) and (17).
Subclauses (18) and (19).
Subclauses 7(1) and 7(2).
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (8.16): These clauses relate both to the Legislative Assembly Secretariat, members’ pay, additional resources for the executive, for the crossbench and for the Liberal Party, and for staffing in the Assembly Secretariat. It is interesting that on page 3 of the document, which lists the impact of this second appropriation, they are listed as enhanced accountability. This is the problem: without decent scrutiny, if you accept that at its face value, what does it mean? This is the problem with the process that we are going through tonight. We have had briefings and now we are reading documents here, trying to get to the bottom of what these are.
This should have simply said “increased payments for MLAs, increased staffing allowances and increased resources to the Assembly”. However, the payments, for instance, to the executive, are called “enhanced accountability”. It is actually the pay rise for the ministers—congratulations—and it is extra staffing in each ministerial office, which is probably a good thing. But why don’t we call it that? This is what makes me dubious about the whole process that we are going through here this evening. What we need to do is detail it. If you go further on, it is somewhat clearer. Page 7 for the Assembly does have a slightly more detailed list of what is incorporated in this.
Simply in terms of genuine accountability and scrutiny, when you start with this, it does not give you a great sense of confidence in the rest of the process. That being said, we announced during the election that we thought there should be extra support for the Secretariat, and that is fine; that is encompassed in this. The pay rises are the result of a Remuneration Tribunal decision in July. Indeed, we have been saying in this place for some time that all of the officers deserve extra staffing allowance, and this will bring this to fruition. We agree with both these lines, but, until you start asking the questions and you endeavour to find out where this is going and how it is going, you cannot get a full sense of what this money is from, from the descriptions in this document.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Convenor, ACT Greens) (8.19): Before we look at the line item on enhanced accountability, the funding for the Legislative Assembly covers increases in members’ salaries awarded to all members by the Remuneration Tribunal in July, extra resources for the Committee Office to support the work of the important new climate change, environment and water committee, and extra funds for members’ staff for the Greens, Liberal and Labor parties to reflect the change in make-up of the Assembly and to assist in dealing with the increased workload.
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