Page 4648 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
But I think it will be important and, indeed, it will stop the practice of selectively leaking FOI material.
MS LE COUTEUR: A supplementary.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Le Couteur.
MS LE COUTEUR: Minister, using the example that we used earlier of modelling, why was it appropriate to give edited highlights to the Canberra Times but not to give the full modelling to the public?
MS GALLAGHER: I cannot speak about what information may have been provided to the Canberra Times. What I can say is that in relation to all of the information that is commissioned by government, reports for government—and this is separate to information commissioned for Greens’ legislation—the commitment I have given is that, as a default, that information should be made public.
If in the course of our work we are compiling information about Liberal legislation or Green legislation and that requires modelling and regulatory impact statements and all the rest of it, once cabinet has considered that information or even as part of our cabinet decision making has seen that, then I am sure the minister will make that information public at an appropriate time. But I also think cabinet should be given the opportunity to consider the submissions, based on legislation that is not our own, before we release all the information around that.
MR HANSON: Supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: Minister, in 2001 ACT Labor went to the election with a promise to release cabinet documents after six years. Why do you continue to break that promise?
MS GALLAGHER: I do not recall that promise in 2001. I am happy to check it but I do not trust anything Mr Hanson says. I know that we had a 10-year arrangement in place. That will mean that the first summaries of this government’s decision making will be released later this year, early next year.
Mrs Dunne: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The Chief Minister has said, “I do not trust anything that Mr Hanson says.” That is an imputation that Mr Hanson is untrustworthy and it should be withdrawn.
Mr Hargreaves: On the point of order, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hargreaves.
Mr Hargreaves: There was no actual imputation. The Chief Minister was merely expressing her view, and there is nothing to take from that. There was no accusation. There was no direct statement.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video