Page 1421 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 3 May 2016
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The code does not require inhuman perfection. What it does require of ministers is that if there a mistake made, they correct the public record at the earliest opportunity. That is what comes with the responsibility of decision-making. It is a responsibility everyone in my ministry takes seriously and is proud to do so. Correcting the record is not a breach of the code. It is in fact the code in action doing its job just as the ministers do theirs.
It has been this side of the chamber over the history of self-government that has worked hardest to improve public confidence in this place. It was under this government that the first Commissioner for Standards was appointed. The commissioner investigates complaints made against MLAs by members of the public, members of the public service and other MLAs. The commissioner acts independently of government and helps ACT citizens be comfortable that we, members in this place, are conducting their activities ethically.
It was under this government that the Ethics and Integrity Adviser was introduced to make sure that members can receive independent advice about ethical issues that they face in their job. I think everyone in this place recognises the difficulties that can occur. I think the adviser is especially useful for new members who may be adjusting to being in a role with public responsibility for the first time.
It was this government that extended the code of conduct to members’ staff. By virtue of the trust we hold in them, and the nature of working in politics, it is important that staff understand their responsibility to the public, the proper handling of information, and their accountability to us, members of the Assembly, who are their employers.
Finally, it was this government that introduced the lobbyists register and code of conduct during this Assembly. These measures are living and changing ones. While they are fit for purpose today, they will adapt and change with the times to make sure that we keep the public’s trust in the decisions of this place.
Accountability, transparency and good government are as central to Labor governments as they are anathema to those opposite. They have been at the heart of my government’s decision-making and will be for every single day that I am the Chief Minister of the territory.
It is of course only the white shoe brigade, the party who promised to give their donors a tax break, that wants us go back to the bad old days of dodgy deals and taxpayer spending heaped on those in the know. I am sure the people of Canberra would be saddened, but certainly not surprised, to see those opposite yet again living down to everyone’s expectation of them.
Being in government is about standing up for Canberra. It is about making serious decisions for our city’s future and doing so in a way that is clear and transparent. It is a place for grown-ups, this place, Madam Speaker—not for dilettantes, not for people who think it is just another university debating club.
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