Page 3576 - Week 08 - Friday, 24 August 2012
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Evidence from the ACT Electoral Commissioner led to some of the recommendations of the report in terms of some of the more technical recommendations and how the self-government act and Hare-Clark system operate. Evidence was also taken from Professor Mike Reynolds AM from the Public Policy Institute; Professor Roger Wettenhall from the ANZSOG Institute for Governance; Professor George Williams, who is obviously recognised as an expert in this area and has been working with the Northern Territory around their processes looking at moving towards statehood; and Dr Allan Hawke, with whom all members would be familiar through the review of government structure.
As Mr Rattenbury has said, all but one submission supported the Assembly determining its own size. As Mr Hanson said, everyone now recognises the maturity of this Assembly. Judging by all the submissions, it is time the Assembly was given that power. The legislation that has come through here in the last few years—being the first jurisdiction to have a Human Rights Act and the like—shows the level of maturity of this Assembly and that it has been a leader in many areas around these sorts of processes.
I will go to a couple of the comments Mr Hanson made around his additional comments in relation to recommendation 5. It is worth noting that all laws have ramifications, and that includes at a national level. That shows from some of the laws that have been introduced here in the ACT but also other states. They often then act as a means for other states to move forward on particular legislation. I do not think it is correct to say that what the ACT does on a particular issue—Mr Hanson noted the issue of voluntary euthanasia—can have ramifications, as that is the case with all legislation.
As to the issue of voluntary euthanasia, it is likely that another jurisdiction will move forward on this before the ACT and we will not have the ability to even discuss it as an issue. That is the reason behind that recommendation—at the moment we cannot even have the debate about it. We have a level of maturity now amongst the members here to be able to have that debate. South Australia may, in fact, be the first state that legislates on this issue. The motion was defeated by one vote when this came up. That shows there very well may be another jurisdiction which moves on this.
Mr Hanson’s comments are somewhat contradictory when he says that we have the level of maturity to legislate and determine matters such as our own size, but we cannot legislate on other particular matters. That is quite a contradictory statement. He also said that we do not have any checks and balances. It is true we do not have a governor in the ACT, but Queensland does not have an upper house. Being a former Queenslander and seeing what is happening in Queensland at the moment with some of the legislation and programs that are being cancelled there, I can say there are very few checks and balances on what is happening there. We can see from what has happened in other states and territories that having a governor often has very little impact on what happens in the legislature.
Former senator and former leader of the Australian Greens, Bob Brown, moved a provision in the federal parliament to ensure it can discuss and vote on any law passed
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