Parliamentary Committees

STATUTORY AUTHORITIES REVIEW COMMITTEE: ANNUAL REPORT 2010-11

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (17:12): I move:

That the report of the committee, 2010-11, be noted.

This is the 55^th report of the committee and the 16^th annual report. The Statutory Authorities Review Committee is a multipartite parliamentary standing committee, whose five members are drawn solely from the Legislative Council. The annual report represents a summary of activities for the year 2010-11. The committee met on 17 occasions during that period and tabled one report in the 2010-11 financial year, the annual report 2009-10, having tabled several reports into inquiries in a short space of time in the 2009-10 financial year.

In the 2010-11 financial year, the committee concentrated its efforts on the Teachers Registration Board inquiry, and then tabled its report and recommendations regarding the Teachers Registration Board on 26 July this year. As I am now speaking to this annual report in October, I make mention that the tense used in my Presiding Member's statement in the third paragraph is incorrect, as the report has now of course been tabled, having been tabled on 26 July, as I mentioned, and of course the EPA inquiry has also commenced. I have some recollection of amending that first draft, but clearly it did not make it to the final cut in terms of that grammar.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: Who are you unloading on there?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: Would I be unloading on anybody?

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: It sounded like it.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: I would not be doing that, would I, the Hon. Rob Lucas? The committee heard oral evidence from 17 witnesses related to the inquiry into the Teachers Registration Board. The TRB inquiry report is still before this chamber, and I have had the opportunity to speak on this inquiry, so I will not elaborate further at this time. As well, the committee commenced taking oral evidence in regard to the Environment Protection Authority, as mentioned, in July 2011.

Of note, during that last financial year the 11^th Biennial Conference of the Australasian Council of Public Accounts Committees (ACPAC) was held in Perth from 27 to 29 April 2011. I attended the conference as the Presiding Member of SARC, along with the Hon. Terry Stephens MLC. The highlight of the conference was a talk by Mr Bernard Salt, who focused on the implications of managing and monitoring the 'big Australia', the demographic changes shaping public spending and how the imminent retirement of the baby boomer generation will change private and public spending over the next decade.

I take this opportunity to thank other members of the committee: the Hons Ann Bressington, Ian Hunter, Rob Lucas and Terry Stephens for their membership and continuing support to the committee. I also place on record my thanks to the staff for their work throughout the year.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. R.I. Lucas.