Page 3208 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 22 August 2012
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That is why we need reform and that is why we need a change of government. We need a change of government so Canberrans can again have some faith that these projects will be managed properly, that they will be planned properly from the start, and that we will not see this wasting of taxpayers’ money. It will reflect on ACT Labor, it will reflect on the Chief Minister, it will reflect on the Deputy Chief Minister and it will reflect on each of the ministers who have been responsible for these project blow-outs over the last 11 years.
Madam Deputy Speaker, reforms here are needed. The reforms need to start with a fair dinkum infrastructure plan. The government have not been prepared to make those reforms. They put together a list of capital works, things from various agencies, and called it an infrastructure plan. It was rightly condemned by every credible person in this space. It was condemned even by the Greens in this place. You know that the Labor Party have done something shocking, something pathetic, when even the Greens are prepared to stand up and criticise them in this place and call it for what it was. It was a joke. We need proper infrastructure planning.
This is not some academic debate. This is hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money that is being wasted. It is money that Canberrans are now being forced to repay, that Canberrans have been forced to pay for through higher taxes and charges. It is not good enough. They have run out of excuses and they have run out of time.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella) (4.12): With the leave of my colleagues, I apologise for not being here when Mrs Dunne gave her scrutiny of bills and subordinate legislation report. I was occupied in my office talking with a constituent. I would like to add my thanks to those people who provided a service to that committee over the time that I have been here, over 14½ years. I worked it out the other day that I have been on the Scrutiny of Bills and Subordinate Legislation Committee for 10 years of my 15 here, and all of that as the deputy chair. I need to express my appreciation to the secretaries of that particular committee and the people that have assisted it—Max Kiermaier and Tom Duncan in his time; Celeste Italiano and Anne Shannon are some that come to mind—without whose services we just would not have been able to do a thing.
I need also to thank expressly Peter Bayne for his service. He was here when I came and he will be here when I go. He is a world-recognised expert on the scrutiny of bills. He is certainly recognised around this country and applauded for his contribution to that particular discipline. I need also to thank Stephen Argument, who has provided a unique perspective on subordinate and delegated legislation which is, for many people, a dry subject.
However, I might say to the chamber that inappropriate scrutiny of delegated and subordinate legislation is the most dangerous thing that can ever be perpetrated upon mankind. It is the way in which governments of the day can actually introduce draconian exercises, activities or legislation without debate. Furthermore, one of my pet hates is delegation by reference. It is one that actually gets up my nose frightfully.
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