Page 2187 - Week 07 - Thursday, 27 August 2020
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comments that Mr Coe has just made as the chair. I think that is right; it is the spirit in which we expect this committee will continue.
As we move into the caretaker period, it is the convention, of course, that government will not take significant decisions. That is a convention that we are very firmly committed to. The reflection of it in Mr Coe’s comments is that if there are extraordinary events and the government needs to use powers that would not normally be used in a caretaker period, it is appropriate that the committee be able to convene if necessary. Otherwise the committee will simply sit there with that opportunity up its sleeve and not need to use it. On that basis, we are pleased to support the extension through to 16 October.
MS CHEYNE (Ginninderra) (10.01): I echo Minister Rattenbury’s comments. The government also supported the establishment of this committee. We will speak more on the report. The committee has met, I think, 51 times since its establishment. I welcome the comments from Mr Coe in explaining this motion today.
On the basis of this explanation, the committee will exist but perhaps not work—hopefully not—at the rapid pace it has been working at. That affects not just those who will be in caretaker mode but also the committee staff. If there are extraordinary events that require extraordinary power and therefore scrutiny, I think it is reasonable that the committee continues to exist.
I appreciate that there is a final date by when the committee will report and that if it does not report, it will advise the Speaker that there is no report and it will end. I hope that we will not have to hold hearings or meet, but the government supports this motion.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Electricity Feed-in (Large-scale Renewable Energy Generation) Amendment Bill 2020
Mr Rattenbury, by leave, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.
Title read by Clerk.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Minister for Corrections and Justice Health, Minister for Justice, Consumer Affairs and Road Safety and Minister for Mental Health) (10.03): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
This is a bill to urgently address an administrative error that would affect the reverse auctions for renewable electricity capacity, which are close to being finalised. I will first explain the background to this, before explaining the error and how this bill seeks to resolve it.
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