Page 806 - Week 02 - Thursday, 12 February 2009
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the Assembly adjourns in the next 10 to 15 minutes. Therefore I would suggest that the Chief Minister provide the document, or make a claim of privilege in relation to the document, consistent with the standing order.
It would have been more appropriate if Mr Seselja had moved a motion simply indicating that the Assembly called for the production of the strategic and functional review. That would have been a more appropriate way of doing it than saying that the Chief Minister must table it in here before the end of the sitting day. I do not know whether he is physically capable of doing that. He may need to go and get the document from the cabinet office and get it physically into this chamber before the Assembly ceases sitting. The Assembly has nearly ceased sitting, so it would be pretty much in the next five to 10 minutes.
I suggest that the motion be amended to simply read that this Assembly calls on the Chief Minister to table the strategic and functional review of the ACT public sector and services in the Assembly. That is then an order of the Assembly. The Chief Minister will be required to respond to the order of the Assembly, and we now have a standing order in place that allows for that to occur. I seek to amend the motion by deleting all words after “Assembly”, second occurring. I move:
Omit the words “before the end of this sitting day”.
Mr Seselja: Could you read the words one more time.
MR CORBELL: That all words after the word “Assembly”, second occurring, be deleted.
Mrs Dunne: Delete “before the end of the sitting day”.
MR CORBELL: Correct. Delete the words “before the end of this sitting day”.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (4.57): We are happy to accept that amendment. The purpose is to kick off the process. We assume that, once this is passed, the Chief Minister will go through the process set out in the new standing order—claiming privilege, providing the document to the Clerk or providing it to the Clerk and claiming privilege. Yes, we are happy with that amendment—provided there is not some sort of unreasonable delay, but I think the standing order should cover that off.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (4.58): While the opposition is willing to accept the amendment, there is a problem already that comes to light in the standing order that we have just adopted, because there is no time line in standing order 213A. There is no time line so there is nothing in there that says that that the document or the claim of privilege must be provided at any time. I just draw this to the attention of the Assembly.
Mr Seselja: The Assembly’s intention is pretty clear, I think.
MRS DUNNE: I draw this to people’s attention and I make the point that, if the Chief Minister does unnecessarily delay, we will have to bring the matter back here.
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