Page 5117 - Week 13 - Thursday, 29 November 2018
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MR WALL (Brindabella) (3.46): I think the Assembly is sending mixed messages this week, Madam Speaker, given that Monday and Tuesday saw Diabetes Australia here providing testing to members and staff. I passed with a clean bill of health, so perhaps the diet is not as bad as we are all led to believe at times.
I echo the sentiments that the inquiry has been, at points, quite a gruelling process. Special thanks need to be paid to the chamber support office, particularly Janice Rafferty for all that she did in keeping on top of the copious number of amendments and often the four differing views. When there are three parties involved in the committee, it sometimes gets creative when there are party views and individual views. I see the Chief Minister laughing. I am still trying to figure out the difference between a Labor caucus submission and the ACT executive submission, given that it is a Labor government. But I digress. The left hand does not always know what the right is after.
I think that the changes to the standing orders have landed in a sensible position. There were some very creative ideas floated, some fairly substantial changes to the way the business of the Assembly is conducted. But slow and incremental changes and amendments are a much better approach to these. The standing orders might not necessarily suit what we are trying to achieve today. But they are supposed to be a timeless document that serves not just this Assembly but also future Assemblies that come after us.
I thank the other members of the committee: you, Madam Speaker, Ms Cheyne and Mr Rattenbury. It has always been a collaborative exercise, even when we have had our disagreements. But I do believe that we have landed at the right spot.
We are supporting the amendment today. It is the peculiar nature of the standing orders review being conducted inside the committee that, to abide by the standing orders, there is only so much that can be discussed with our colleagues at various points. Once the committee report is presented, often further discussion and horsetrading need to go on to land at the spot where everyone is happy, which we are finally at now.
Amendment agreed to.
Original question, as amended, resolved in the affirmative.
Executive business—precedence
Ordered that executive business be called on.
Environment and Transport and City Services—Standing Committee
Report—government response
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Social Inclusion and Equality, Minister for Tourism and Special Events and Minister for Trade, Industry and Investment) (3.49): Madam Speaker, for the information of members, I present the following report:
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