Page 5777 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 7 December 2011

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Question put:

That Ms Burch’s amendment No 2 be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Ayes 6

Noes 9

Mr Barr

Ms Porter

Ms Bresnan

Ms Le Couteur

Dr Bourke

Mr Coe

Mr Rattenbury

Ms Burch

Mr Doszpot

Mr Seselja

Mr Corbell

Mrs Dunne

Mr Smyth

Ms Gallagher

Ms Hunter

Question so resolved in the negative.

MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (11.02), by leave: I move:

Add new subparagraphs (2)(d) and (e):

“(d) consult with the Standing Committee on Education, Training and Youth Affairs on appointments to the Advisory Panel before they are made; and

(e) instruct the Director-General of the Community Services Directorate to report, in the Directorate’s annual reports, on the activities of the Task Force and the Advisory Panel, including, but not limited to, an outline of the advice the Advisory Panel has provided to the Government and the Task Force and the responses of the Government and the Task Force to that advice.”.

I thank members for giving leave to move this amendment, which adds extra paragraphs to Ms Hunter’s motion at 2(d) and (e). They create some transparency and also create a small nexus back to the ACT Legislative Assembly for reporting on the implementation of the recommendations of this inquiry.

This inquiry was generated out of this Assembly and it is clear that the Assembly has a vital and abiding interest in the outcomes of the inquiry and its implementation. This was manifested by the level of questioning in annual reports, this motion here today and previous motions, and some of the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Education, Training and Youth Affairs.

This amendment requires the government to consult with the Standing Committee on Education, Training and Youth Affairs, in much the same way as it would for statutory appointments, on appointments to the advisory panel before they are made. That means that the government can make those appointments anyhow, but it is more open and there is some transparency; it gives the Assembly, through its delegate the committee, some input into that structure.

The second paragraph, 2(e), instructs the director-general of the directorate to report in the annual report on activities of the task force and the advisory panel. The

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