Page 1708 - Week 05 - Thursday, 11 May 2017
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government and the crossbench to see just how open they are prepared to be on this very important issue.
Ms Fitzharris’s amendment to Mrs Dunne’s proposed amendment agreed to.
Mrs Dunne’s amendment, as amended, agreed to.
Original question, as amended, resolved in the affirmative.
Canberra Hospital—AECOM risk assessment report
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (3.39), by leave: I move:
That, in accordance with standing order 213A, this Assembly order the Minister for Health to table, in the Assembly, the AECOM risk assessment report on the performance of infrastructure at The Canberra Hospital, referred to in the hearings of the Select Committee on Estimates 2016-2017 on 29 June 2016.
Thank you, members, for the indulgence and for leave. We have established in this place a mechanism for dealing with questions about whether something is confidential or not, and they are clearly laid out in standing order 213A. That provides a mechanism so that if the Chief Minister wants to claim privilege over a document he can do so, but he needs to notify the Clerk and provide the Clerk with a copy. Then there is a mechanism by which the Assembly can appoint an appropriate person to mediate on that issue and come to a conclusion on behalf of the Assembly.
I think that this has been used a few times. It has been used to get good outcomes sometimes and other times people have been unhappy. I recall Mr Rattenbury being unhappy about the outcome on some occasions. I think it is a good mechanism, and I commend the standing order and the motion to the Assembly so that we can ensure whether the report in question is or is not privileged in the way that the minister has claimed.
I think the minister has a conflict of interest, and we can resolve the conflict of interest by having this matter referred to an expert person. I do note that this mechanism was put in place through the work of the Greens in the Seventh Assembly. I think that, generally speaking, it has been a robust mechanism, and I would encourage members to support the motion.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (3.42): The Greens will be supporting Mrs Dunne’s motion. As she has outlined in her comments, this is exactly why we set this mechanism up. Where there is a dispute over privilege and this Assembly is not capable of resolving that, we have a mechanism exactly designed for this purpose, and I think it is an appropriate way to proceed in light of the differing views on the status of this document.
MS FITZHARRIS (Yerrabi—Minister for Health, Minister for Transport and City Services and Minister for Higher Education, Training and Research) (3.42): I certainly respect the chamber—and we will be agreeing with Mrs Dunne’s motion—but I do
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