Page 1739 - Week 05 - Thursday, 11 May 2017
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MR COE (Yerrabi—Leader of the Opposition) (5.29): I move amendment No 25 circulated in my name, which inserts new clauses 43A and 43B [see schedule 4 at page 1778]. This amendment goes to the issue that the Chief Minister just raised with regard to the statement of expectations. Our amendment 24 required that, should there be a statement of expectations, it would be a function of the board. So new clauses 43A and 43B would be, in effect, consequential, had amendment No 24 been passed.
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism and Major Events) (5.30): The government, having not supported the previous amendments from Mr Coe, will not support these. But I will take the opportunity to speak briefly to advise the Assembly that the suburban land agency will prepare an FMA Act statement of intent under section 63.
It is important to note, in the discussion on target setting and adherence to government policy by the CRA and the SLA, that the government will set a direction for each agency through a formal statement of expectations. The board will respond with a statement of intent. It is the same for both entities. The process by which this will occur is different, though, in that the CRA will have a statement of expectations, which is in section 16 of the bill, and a statement of operational intent from the board in response, section 17. The provisions of this bill supplement the Financial Management Act requirements in relation to the CRA.
The SLA statement of intent is governed by the Financial Management Act in section 61. That act makes provision for the minister to be consulted in its preparation and requires the agency to take into account comments made by the minister. In practice this achieves the same outcome. The government sets the directions in relation to what the entities will do and how they will do it, including in relation to adherence to government policies. The boards respond and the response is approved by the responsible minister and the Treasurer.
We chose, in the drafting process for this bill, not to depart from the Financial Management Act provisions for the SLA, as opposed to what we did for the CRA, primarily to highlight the different nature and role of the CRA versus the SLA, and the scope of discretion that the CRA board will have in particular. This reinforces the difference between the CRA, which has discretion in delivering what the government asks it to deliver within a defined precinct, and the SLA, where all powers are exercisable only with the minister’s approval.
Amendment negatived.
Proposed new clauses 43A and 43B negatived.
Proposed new clause 43A.
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism and Major Events) (5.33): I move amendment No 14 circulated in my name [see schedule 2 at page 1772]. This amendment inserts
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