Page 3899 - Week 12 - Thursday, 30 October 2014
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I have circulated an amendment to the motion today. I move:
Omit all words after “That” (first occurring), substitute: “this Assembly:
(1) notes that:
(a) the ACT Government is delivering on its commitment to being open and transparent by releasing the full business case for Capital Metro to the community on 31 October 2014;
(b) this is a step rarely taken by governments across Australia, and many other governments are working to prevent the public release of information about their transport infrastructure projects;
(c) this Assembly has already debated this topic a number of times this year;
(d) this Assembly resolved to give additional time for scrutiny of Capital Metro Agency through the Estimates Committee and an additional special public hearing of the Standing Committee on Planning, Environment and Territory and Municipal Services, whose remit specifically includes examination of transport services;
(e) on 27 February 2014, the Assembly agreed that:
(i) at both the annual reports hearings and the estimates hearings, the relevant standing or select committee provide for a period of at least two hours to question the Capital Metro Agency, if required; and
(ii) officials from the Capital Metro Agency and relevant Ministers should be available for an additional 3.5 hours in 2014 for a public hearing before the Standing Committee on Planning, Environment and Territory and Municipal Services to discuss the Capital Metro project; and
(f) further annual reports hearings by the Standing Committee on Planning, Environment and Territory and Municipal Services on Capital Metro are scheduled to occur on 21 November 2014; and
(2) calls on the Government to:
(a) commit to making further time available for hearings if the time allocated to the Standing Committee on Planning, Environment and Territory and Municipal Services on Capital Metro and the 2015 Estimates Committee hearings are found to be insufficient to allow for full discussion of questions.”.
It notes a range of things that have taken place so far. It particularly notes the transparency of the ACT government in releasing the full business case. That is in stark contrast to many other jurisdictions which actively seek to constrain the release of that information. I think it is a real credit to the ACT government and it is a sign of the confidence in the quality of the work that the government has voluntarily, of its own volition, agreed to release the full business case for full public scrutiny.
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