Page 2017 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 5 August 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
I note that today the government has missed the opportunity to move to three-member committees, which would have alleviated some of the problems in the shorter term, but the number of people required on committees, be it three-member or four-member committees, is too high. We will talk about the electorates in the next piece of legislation we are debating today, but I think that five electorates is an appropriate balance to provide representation and, as far as possible, create the community of interests that we all want. While I am speaking on this, I note that the Electoral Commissioner and his staff are here today. I welcome them to the Assembly. I am sure all of us here will encourage and welcome the Electoral Commissioner’s speedy work to identify where those electorates are going to be.
I am very proud that the Liberal Party membership had a significant voice in determining this policy. This was a matter that our party took to a divisional council. There was a policy debate where all the members of the party were able to participate. There were mixed views; there were arguments for and against expansion. It was a very good debate where cases were put forward, but ultimately the view was that an increase in the size of the Assembly was warranted. It is great to be part of a democratic party where that debate occurred and it is great to be in an Assembly where we put politics aside to identify what is in the best interests of good governance and therefore ultimately in the interest of our community.
Ultimately, that is what it is about. It is not my natural disposition to support an expansion, but in this case I believe that this will provide for better governance of the ACT. As that is what we are here for, the Canberra Liberals will be supporting this bill.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (4.39): There are two bills that we are discussing today and Mr Hanson spoke a little bit about the next bill that we will be coming to—that is my understanding—which is the actual bill that expands the size of the Assembly. The first of these bills is really an electoral stitch-up between the Labor Party and the Canberra Liberals because today they have joined together to ensure that it will be harder for the people of the ACT to get diverse representation in the Legislative Assembly. They are locking in an electoral structure which will reduce the chances of others entering the Assembly, and increasing the chances of them entering the parliament.
As an observer of ACT politics would know, as a general rule, the ALP and the Liberals have to be dragged to the table to cooperate on anything in this place, but on this their interests clearly are aligned. They are supporting this bill because they know it benefits them. It benefits them more than it does the people of the ACT, and that needs to be made clear here today. The ACT Greens support an increase in the size of the Assembly, but we will not be supporting this—the Electoral Amendment Bill.
While simultaneously increasing the size of the Assembly, yet having electorates with only the minimum number of members allowed, it is a poor outcome for democracy and a wasted opportunity to enhance our electoral system. The Greens support having more members in the Assembly, and we have raised a number of options and configurations for how this could be done over the past year. But the two old parties have not even entertained a different model to the one that has been put forward today, and it is clear why: it suits them not to.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video