Page 1378 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 June 2020
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more, and there would be no sitting days and no opportunities—no committee hearings and those sorts of things—one could make arguments about the need to provide additional reporting opportunities. We normally have quarterly reporting, and that will continue through this process. I think that the argument that there is not an opportunity to see these things is not a strong one.
Mr Coe: But we are not getting the end-of-year until August.
MR RATTENBURY: Mr Coe, you have had your chance to speak. I have the floor, Mr Coe.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Coe, please.
MR RATTENBURY: On the point around calling for consultation with the leaders of the other parties in the Assembly before additional financial measures are publicly announced, I am still not exactly clear what those additional financial measures are. If Mr Coe means every time a minister is going to talk about what the government is doing next, I do not think that is a realistic proposition.
With four months or so of caretaker government, ministers want to do their jobs, which we are supposed to get on and do. In fact, we are trying to do a lot more than usual because there have been a whole lot of moving pieces. As a practical matter of reality, and thinking about the way things operate, I do not think that is called for in the circumstances.
The opposition can come in here; they can put questions on notice and call members before the COVID committee and the like. I think there are plenty of opportunities for scrutiny. I return to what I said in my earlier remarks. Points (4) to (10) in Mr Gentleman’s amendment outline a range of points of reporting, scrutiny and updates that are consistent with good practice in this place. We will be supporting Mr Gentleman’s amendment as it stands.
MR WALL (Brindabella) (5.04): It seems that the big sticking point here is what would be new point (11) in Mr Coe’s amendment, which is about consultation with party leaders. A way forward may be, in putting the amendment, to ask that the question be divided, under standing order 133. When the question is put, we can deal with points (11) and (12) separately. There is certainly a reasonable expectation that the financial statements would be published and made public under these circumstances. To reiterate, we would call on the government to publish, by 25 June, the operating statements, balance sheet and cashflow statements for the period ending 30 April, with figures for the year to date and the estimated outcomes for the 2019-20 financial year.
Mr Coe interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Coe, you will be warned if I have to come to you one more time. You had a chance to debate the matter. Please be quiet. The question is that Mr Coe’s amendment be divided.
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