Page 849 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 20 March 2012
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I make a number of observations about that answer. First, the review actually started on 6 October 2011 and not on 1 October as the former Treasurer specified. The three-month period would then end on 6 January 2012, and that is only three days after this answer was signed off. The report was “expected” to be tabled in the Assembly during the February sittings. The report was due to be made available to the Assembly on 6 January and that should have been done. Only being “expected” to be tabled is far from definitive. Indeed, the review has not been tabled and, according to the draft program circulated yesterday after cabinet, it will not be tabled this week. So the delay to PAC and PAC’s endeavours goes on.
The evidence is quite clear; there can be no argument. Despite repeated assurance from two treasurers and officials over the past months and the last year, this government has failed to comply with the law. It has broken the law. It has failed to provide a review of an important area of public policy on time. Indeed, the Labor Party is peddling the lie that it is the Greens and the Liberal Party that are holding up the review. Andrew Leigh, the federal member for Fraser, received an email from a constituent. Apparently he consulted with the Treasurer, and this is his response back to the constituent:
Thanks for your email. I have taken up the issue of CTPI providers in the ACT with the ACT Treasurer, Andrew Barr MLA. You’ll be pleased to hear that the Minister is aware of this unsatisfactory situation and a bill to change it is currently before the assembly (it is being held up by the Liberals and the Greens).
That was on 1 March. “It is being held up by the Liberals and the Greens.” What is holding up the review is the breaking of the law by the minister in his failure to give the report that was due on 6 January to the committee. So there we have it. “Don’t do the report. We don’t comply with the law and we blame everybody else but ourselves.” That was from Mr Leigh to a constituent. It will be interesting to see whether that is the advice the Treasurer’s office gave to Mr Leigh and it will be interesting to see who got it wrong.
In no place is there mention of the fact that what is holding up the review is that the report that Ms Gallagher thought we would have in November has not appeared, that the amendments that may have been passed in December have not happened because the government has not done the job, and the report that should have been due on 1 January has not arrived. Because it started late it was due on 6 January, but it has not arrived. Here we are on 20 March and it still has not arrived. According to the official document circulated by the manager of government business yesterday, it is not to be tabled this week. Where is this minister at? Where is his contempt for the law and what will this Assembly do?
My motion requires the Treasurer to table by close of business today the report of the review of the Road Transport (Third-Party Insurance) Act 2008 and it censures the Treasurer for failing to comply with the requirements of section 275 of the act. He has broken the law. It must be on the record that this Assembly held him to account. I urge members to support my amendments to the motion.
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