Page 5260 - Week 12 - Thursday, 28 October 2010
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(1) Derek Volker as the Independent Reviewer—ACT Government Campaign Advertising, for a period of three years commencing 1 November 2010; and
(2) in instances when the Independent Reviewer is unavailable to review proposed government campaign advertising, Crispin Hull as Alternative Independent Reviewer—ACT Government Campaign Advertising, for a period of three years commencing 1 November 2010.
The motion that the government brings to the Assembly today really is seeking to attempt to break the deadlock that exists between the government and the opposition over the operations of the Government Agencies (Campaign Advertising) Act 2009.
The appointments that the government proposes both have extensive experience which make them eminently qualified for these positions. Derek Volker has experience in both the private and public sectors, making him aware of the realities and sensitivities of agency advertising within government. His experience has equipped him to judge what is and is not appropriate in the expenditure of public funding.
He has extensive public service experience, including being a former departmental secretary of the commonwealth departments of veterans’ affairs, social security and education. He was also the chairman of the government relations group in Corrs Chambers Westgarth and more recently he chaired the ACT government Skills Commission. He has also chaired the Australian Capital Tourism Corporation. He is currently the chair of Defence Housing Australia, the city west precinct committee and the OzHelp Foundation.
Crispin Hull as the alternative reviewer could be called upon in the event that Mr Volker is unavailable or absent. Mr Hull has extensive experience in media and communications and formal legal qualifications. He has a deep understanding of all the issues upon which the reviewer would be expected to exercise judgement. He has written for the Canberra Times for 30 years with seven years as editor. He is currently a lecturer in journalism at the University of Canberra, which involves teaching media law.
As members of the Assembly would be aware, the issue of the appointment of the independent reviewer has dragged on since June, when the opposition refused to endorse Mr Volker’s appointment. Under the clause in the legislation, the appointment of the independent reviewer required a two-thirds majority of the Assembly. The act clearly states that the minister must appoint an independent reviewer and this was done following an expression of interest process facilitated by the Chief Minister’s Department.
The opposition blocked the appointment of Mr Volker and Mr Hull with the reason that they wanted to see the list of the other applicants for the position. Nowhere in the legislation did it state that the selection of the independent reviewer was to be by a panel chaired by the Canberra Liberals. As a result of the Liberals’ refusal to endorse the appointment of the independent reviewer, the government has had no other option
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