Page 3832 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 25 August 2010
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pulling together data, analysing that data, putting a narrative context about it, and ensuring that, from there, we are taking forward actions and putting in place programs, policies or maybe legislation that will make the ACT safer for our children and young people.
Debate (on motion by Ms Burch) adjourned to the next sitting.
Financial Management (Appointments) Amendment Bill 2010
Mr Seselja, pursuant to notice, presented the bill.
Title read by Clerk.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (10.22): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
I rise to introduce today another important element to a longstanding and ongoing policy objective to make this Assembly more open, more accountable and more in tune with what the people of Canberra want us to achieve, instead of this place being used as a way for certain members to achieve what they want for political or personal gain.
Previously, my team and I have introduced and successfully carried the fight to stop governments misusing their incumbency to hide information by introducing important legislation providing enhanced rigour under freedom of information legislation. We have moved to prevent governments using the budgets of their departments to promote partisan political interests with the introduction and passage of the campaign advertising act. We are working to end the arms race in political donations and prevent this government being the biggest profit taker from an industry they are supposed to be regulating with campaign finance reform.
Today, Mr Speaker, I add another plank of the legislative framework that is shoring up the excesses and self-interest of governments who are all too tempted by the advantages of incumbency and who, until now, have all succumbed to that temptation.
The Financial Management (Appointments) Amendment Bill 2010 will prevent ministers moving from the comfort of their offices within the executive to the security of sinecures within territory authorities or corporations. The culture of patronage, so decried around the world, has quietly coexisted here in the ACT, with mate looking after mate.
The fact that this is an issue is obvious from a look at the comments made about it around Australia and around the world. On the ABC in February this year, communications minister Stephen Conroy came under fire when he was caught using his influence to help a Labor figure win a plum government job.
It is not an issue for just one party. Simon Crean, when he was opposition leader, called for reform to prevent former ministers from using “their knowledge and
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