Page 441 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 23 February 2010

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In regard to the Treasurer’s role, Ms Gallagher, as Treasurer, has been present in these committee hearings. As a shareholder to Actew, she has been the recipient of many updates from Mr Sullivan on major water security projects. However, it seems clear that the shareholders had not been informed of the decision of the board to approve and authorise the final costs of the project pipeline until 22 May 2009, four days after the estimates hearing.

It is true that the witnesses at the estimates hearing did make an undertaking to inform the committee should the TOC for the project be signed off, and it is true that the witnesses, Mr Sullivan and Ms Gallagher, had their opportunity to update the committee on those costings prior to the committee reporting.

However, while the Greens feel that Mr Sullivan has a case to answer under standing order 277(l)(iii), we are unconvinced that the same applies equally to Ms Gallagher. Not returning to the committee with new evidence after the hearing is quite a different matter to providing misleading evidence to the committee. Ms Gallagher’s actions do not demonstrate a wilful intent to mislead or lie, such as is outlined in the standing order.

For this reason, the Greens will not be supporting the inclusion of Ms Gallagher in the breadth of the committee’s inquiry, although we would assume that Ms Gallagher would be willing to cooperate with the inquiry as requested once it is established. Likewise, we do not support any assertions that Mrs Dunne has misled the public accounts committee. There is no prima facie case to support either Mrs Dunne or Ms Gallagher being included in the motion.

The Greens have circulated an amendment to the Liberal motion to establish the committee. I move the amendment circulated in my name:

Omit all words after “committed by” in paragraph (1), substitute:

“Mr Mark Sullivan, Managing Director of ACTEW Corporation, in relation to evidence given on matters relating to the Murrumbidgee-to-Googong bulk water transfer pipeline:

(a) at the Select Committee on Estimates 2009-2010 on 18 May 2009; or

(b) at the 2 December 2009 or the 18 February 2010 hearings of the Assembly’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts in its inquiry into Annual Reports 2008-2009; or

(2) the Committee shall report back to the Assembly by Tuesday, 22 June 2010; and

(3) the Committee shall comprise:

(a) one member nominated by the Government;

(b) one member nominated by the Crossbench; and

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