Page 1526 - Week 04 - Thursday, 29 March 2012
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I will speak very briefly to this motion. As members can see from the notice that is on the notice paper, this is about establishing a process for e-petitions for the Legislative Assembly, which I think is an excellent innovation for the Assembly to take on. This is a matter that has been discussed in some detail in the administration and procedure committee.
It is something that the Greens are very supportive of. I think it is good that we now will have this available to the Assembly but I also think that it is a good innovation in terms of enhancing our connection with the community and allowing greater community involvement with the Assembly. I commend the motion to the Assembly.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development) (11.41): The government will support this motion today. This is a useful innovation that should at least be trialled in this place. I note that other parliaments in Australia have adopted a similar approach. I understand that the approach being proposed today by Ms Bresnan on behalf of the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure is drawn from the experience of the Queensland parliament.
I think it is certainly desirable to attempt to bring the petition process, which is one of the most fundamental forms of engagement between a parliament and the broader community, into the electronic age. The provision of an e-petition process certainly has the potential to provide for improvements in the way that the parliament, through the petition process, connects with the community.
That said, we need to see what the experience of the e-petition process will be here in the ACT. In particular, we will need to watch carefully so that it operates as intended and does not have any unforeseen or detrimental impacts. Having said that, I think it is appropriate that we make provision for this process in the standing orders.
The government gives its conditional support but on the basis that we monitor its application and remain satisfied that it operates in a manner which is consistent with the intent of the new standing order.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Administration and Procedure—Standing Committee
Report 4
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo): I present the following report:
Administration and Procedure—Standing Committee—Report 4—Officers of the Parliament, dated March 2012, together with a copy of the extracts of the relevant minutes of proceedings.
MS BRESNAN (Brindabella) (11.44): I move:
That the report be noted.
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