Page 596 - Week 02 - Thursday, 20 March 2014
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More broadly, I echo the comments made by Mrs Dunne that there is a need to step back from the brink on the issue of the operation of the Assembly. The government recognises that the role of Assembly committees is an important one and particularly endorses the comments made by Mrs Dunne that the utility and effectiveness of Assembly committees will be greatly diminished if people who would otherwise give evidence to those committee inquiries will not do so if they feel that there is going to be no constructive outcome as a result of them giving evidence. Certainly the government agrees with the comments made by Mrs Dunne in that respect. We, as a party, a government party—and, I know, all of my colleagues who are sitting on committees—are endeavouring to approach this matter constructively and also endeavouring to find constructive solutions to problems that may occur.
The government does not accept the argument that there is a fundamental problem with four-member committees; as Mr Gentleman has said, this Assembly has had four-member committees in the past. We have to deal with the hand we have been dealt by the electorate, which is two major parties with equal numbers and one crossbench member who has elected to become a member of the executive. We have to deal with those circumstances, and we have to deal with them constructively. That is the approach the government will continue to adopt. We will reach out to any proposal that comes from the other side of this place that equally seeks to step back from the brink that we are facing in relation to the operation of our committees. The government is prepared to continue to adopt, and to reach out to, any attempt that seeks to improve the way in which the committees are operating.
Whilst we do not support these proposals today, for the reasons that Mr Gentleman has outlined, we first of all accept that they are clearly supported by a majority of members, and we will watch them closely. Secondly, our position in relation to this report today should not be taken as a position that indicates that we believe everything is fine and no further changes are needed. Changes are needed, but we do not believe they lie in the realm of standing orders; they lie very much in the way that all members of committees conduct themselves and to what extent they seek to promote a constructive and effective committee system. The Labor government will be continuing to engage on this issue in that manner.
MR HANSON (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (10.43): I welcome Mrs Dunne’s comments and I welcome the comments from Mr Corbell. I would just like to make a couple of points on the broader commentary about the way that committees are performing. I would agree that they have reached a point where they are not functioning in the way intended and they are not providing the scrutiny of an executive that we would expect a committee to provide. Nor are they providing satisfaction to members of the community who seek to make submissions and appear before those committees.
I am very comfortable—I have had discussions with my members about this as well—about working in good faith to resolve the issues as to where committees are, but I will reflect on some of the comments that Mrs Dunne made about how this occurred. Essentially it was a swiftie by the Labor Party in concert with the Greens. There was a three-member committee structure set up in good faith, essentially, with a balance of
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