Page 1557 - Week 05 - Thursday, 15 May 2014
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MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (11.04), in reply: As has been noted, there were some minor omissions in the officers of the Assembly act that we passed last year, and this bill simply deals with those outstanding issues.
All of the changes proposed in the bill are consistent with the underlying intention of the current act to promote the roles that each of these officers fulfil and to ensure their complete independence in fulfilling them. Consistent with the recognition that they fulfil their functions on behalf of the Assembly, the bill clarifies their responsibility to the Assembly collectively.
Officers will continue to be accountable to the Assembly for the efficient and effective financial management of their roles through current statutory processes—for example, estimates and annual report hearings. The Assembly also has the option of passing resolutions relating to the officers if it deems it necessary.
The bill also clarifies the process for transmitting recommended appropriations and resolves an outstanding inconsistency with the Auditor-General Act as well as other minor and technical amendments to ensure the smooth functioning of the new arrangements.
Following the minor changes proposed in the bill and the amendments which I have circulated and which we will consider shortly, the final scheme which we have created will strike a very good balance in improving the accountability of the government and the integrity of the electoral process for the benefit of all Canberrans.
We have the best possible measures in place to ensure the integrity of the process for providing funding to the officers to ensure that they can fulfil the functions that the Assembly has given to them. We also have mechanisms that balance the independence and autonomy of those officers with the need to ensure that they are also accountable for the way that they fulfil the functions given to them.
The Greens are very proud to have been able to deliver these important changes to the community and fulfil our commitments to the people of Canberra that we would make these vital roles officers of the Assembly. These are important developments. I think they improve the entire system of governance in the territory in a series of ways.
The fact that some minor adjustment is being made simply reflects the fact that we are working on something that has not been done before in the Assembly. I am quite comfortable with the fact that there is plenty of time in the lead-in to this, and that as people have started to work through the implementation, as is often the case with a piece of legislation—it is why we see a range of minor and technical amendments coming through this place consistently—there are always a few details to sort out. I am pleased to progress those today.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
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