Page 3834 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 25 August 2010

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the cooling-off period that so many players have called for but so few have been able to achieve. That period is two years, as noted by some of the commentary referred to earlier, but also as a policy that would allow a full budget cycle to progress, from cabinet submission to program expenditure, before a minister may take up an appointment.

It does not prevent a minister from taking up private positions on their own merit, just from taking roles in territory agencies and authorities where they would be making decisions and lobbying government in relation to the inner workings of the executive that, immediately prior to their appointment, the ministers had been privy to. It does not prevent them from applying for commonwealth positions. It is sound, it is sensible and it is long overdue.

I am very proud of the achievements that the Canberra Liberals have made in the areas of government accountability, openness and integrity. Once again, we have led the way on this important reform. Once again, it is the Canberra Liberals who are actually doing the hard work to hold the government to account. Once again, it is on an issue that has been problematic for many of our predecessors, but to which we have proposed a solution. Once again, we have arrived at a concrete, practical solution that should, if accepted by the parties in this place, create genuine results. Once again, I present to the Assembly a piece of legislation that makes our parliament a more equitable institution and seeks to address some of the imbalances of the past so that we may look towards the future with more integrity.

Mr Speaker, I commend the bill to the Assembly.

Debate (on motion by Ms Gallagher) adjourned to the next sitting.

Schools—non-government

MR DOSZPOT (Brindabella) (10.29): I move:

That this Assembly:

(1) notes:

(a) the importance of the non-government school sector to the ACT;

(b) the strong performance of the non-government school sector in the ACT;

(d) that non-government schools provide broad, inclusive and diverse education options to parents;

(e) the substantial services provided by the non-government school sector to the community which reduce the financial burden on the ACT government;

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