Page 5609 - Week 13 - Thursday, 17 November 2011
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Given the size of the organisation, five does seem to be a good number for the board. However, we were concerned that the board membership could drop down to three and that this would be too small a size. However, for the board to remain within its statutory obligations, the membership needs to remain above three. It then becomes sensible for the minister to keep the numbers of people on the board up around five, so that if a member does resign then the board can continue to function properly and be able to operate within the law.
Earlier in this Assembly, the Financial Management Act was amended to ensure that more than one public servant could not be appointed to a board with a membership under six. So it will follow that this new board structure will only have one public servant in its new form.
Given this, the opportunity to quickly replace a member should there be a vacancy will not easily exist; therefore it is likely that it might take some time to identify and appoint a new member. This, I believe, suggests that the government should keep the board membership above three, so that they are not compelled to rush an appointment process in order to keep the board operational. I would, in fact, encourage the government to keep the membership at five so as to also get the best benefit of the expertise that board members can provide.
I do appreciate that we have had some useful discussions with the minister’s office over this matter, and also with Mr Smyth’s office. I think the sense is that there is a common purpose here, in that all members recognise the efficiencies in having a smaller board and also the advantages in operating above the minimum, so that we do not end up with a board in a state where it cannot operate effectively.
Certainly, in our briefing with EPIC management on this bill, we have been pleased to see that a number of areas identified for development at EPIC are progressing well, and we certainly wish the revised board and the management team all the best in advancing these projects.
In conclusion, and taking the bill as a whole, the Greens are supporting the bill this evening.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (6.08): The Liberals will be supporting the second Statute Law Amendment Bill 2011. The bill amends a range of acts and regulations for statute law revision purposes. Usually the amendments made in these kinds of bills are contained in four schedules. Schedule 1 provides for minor, non-controversial amendments initiated by government agencies. In this bill, seven acts and regulations are amended.
An amendment to the Domestic Animals Regulation 2001 makes a decision by the registrar to revoke a permit to keep a cat or dog that is sexually entire a renewable decision. I had to say that, because Mr Coe wanted me to say “sexually entire” in the speech.
An amendment to the Exhibition Park Corporation Act 1976 reduces the board from seven—which takes more than the fingers of one hand—but not more than nine, to no
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