Page 333 - Week 01 - Thursday, 27 February 2014
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But I accept that there are differences of opinions and that, in the first instance, as we move down this path, advice should be sought from admin and procedure. I would say that I did seek advice from admin and procedure, I think, in 2012 and have not received any information back. As long as this motion is responded to in the time outlined we can take the next step of looking at what arrangements should be put in place and who should be covered; how that would work; and some of the other implications of it, including guidelines and the associated code of conduct. I would like to thank members for considering this motion. Hopefully they will support it with the amendment moved by Mr Rattenbury.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo—Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Housing, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and Minister for Ageing) (4.50): I move the amendment circulated in my name:
Omit paragraph (2), substitute:
“(2) requests that the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure provide advice on the implementation of a lobbyist register for the ACT Legislative Assembly, including an associated code of conduct, principles and guidelines, and report back to the Assembly by the last sitting day in May 2014.”.
As Ms Gallagher has flagged, I am moving this amendment to adjust slightly the expectation that, certainly in the initial discussions that I had with members of the administration and procedures committee just on Tuesday when this was first flagged, there was a sense that there are some differences of views on both the scope of what a lobbyist register might cover and who it might cover, and some of the design features. The intent here is to simply ask that the admin and procedures committee, which is a good, representative view of this Assembly, canvass a range of those issues and report back, including perhaps whether it is best run by the Office of the Legislative Assembly, through the Speaker’s office, or whether it is run by the executive—if a register is to exist.
I do not have a view on most of those issues at the moment. I am still thinking about it. The intent of this amendment is to give the committee some scope to canvas those issues, at least amongst members of the Assembly in the first instance. We might determine then how to go forward from there. I have just had brief discussions with members of the opposition. Their concern is there is not adequate time here by May. So, with the leave of members and the agreement of the chamber, we might change that reporting date to the last sitting day in June 2014. I believe I can do that without circulating it if I have the leave of members.
Mr Coe: I have got one here for you.
MR RATTENBURY: I will let Mr Coe move that in a second. I simply say that I certainly look forward to this discussion, having in a former life been an in-house lobbyist for an NGO and not covered by what is now the federal system. I think there are some interesting questions around exactly who it covers. The federal system
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