Page 44 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 9 December 2008
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The committees to be established are: the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, and the government reiterates its commitment to ensure that this committee is chaired by a non-government member; the Standing Committee on Education, Training and Youth Affairs; the Standing Committee on Health, Community and Social Services; the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety; the Standing Committee on Planning, Territory and Municipal Services; the Standing Committee on Climate Change, Environment and Water, consistent with our commitments to the ACT Greens in this regard; and the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety, which will perform the subordinate role of a committee for the scrutiny of bills and subordinate legislation.
It is proposed that for all of the committees there be three members: one member nominated by the government, one by the opposition and one by the crossbench. As I have noted already, the government recognises the importance of the public accounts committee not being chaired by a government member and that remains our commitment. Finally, the membership of the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure is equally one member of the government, one member of the opposition, one member nominated by crossbench members and of course Mr Speaker as the chair.
These changes I think reflect the importance the government places on a strong and robust committee structure for this Assembly and one that covers the broad range of responsibilities taken on by executive members.
I should note that Mrs Dunne has foreshadowed a range of amendments. In relation to the proposal to establish a standing committee on public works, the government do not support that proposal. We believe the existing mechanism whereby individual standing committees examine public works relevant to their portfolio is an appropriate one, along with, of course, the mechanism for the estimates committee to examine proposed public works when they are put forward as part of an appropriation bill.
As for Mrs Dunne’s other foreshadowed amendments, the government will support the insertion of the context of community health for the standing committee on health and will support the inclusion of families in relation to the Standing Committee on—
Mrs Dunne: Health, community and social services.
MR CORBELL: Health, Community and Social Services—thank you, Mrs Dunne. We will also support the changes proposed in relation to how the membership is outlined in the motion. I think the effect is the same; it is just a cleaner wording of the motion. I commend the motion to the Assembly.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (11.30): We in the opposition generally support the motion moved by the manager of government business in relation to the establishment of general purpose standing committees. I must apologise to the Assembly because my amendments were drawn up yesterday and I notice that the final motion moved by the minister takes into account some changes that I proposed. As a result, I will not be moving amendments Nos 2, 3, 5 and 6 on the list that I circulated. They were simple,
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