Question Time

Aboriginal Lands Parliamentary Standing Committee

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:32): My question is to the Hon. Terry Stephens, as Chair of the Aboriginal Lands Parliamentary Standing Committee, regarding the standing committee.

1. Can the Presiding Member of the Aboriginal Lands Parliamentary Standing Committee assure the council that all members of the committee are being provided full access to all committee evidence?

2. Can the Presiding Member of the committee assure the council that no meetings of the committee or deliberations of the committee are being undertaken that exclude members of that committee?

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (14:33): As unusual as this is, I will try to give an answer whilst respecting the sanctity of the committee, I guess. The honourable member is a member of that particular committee, and I can say that there are no meetings held that anyone is actually excluded from. The honourable member may remember—this is where I am reluctant to stray into the discussions that are had within the committee, and I suspect that the Clerk may well pull me up if I am going too far—it has been resolved in that particular committee that if individuals wish to make submissions to the committee that they are uncomfortable giving to the full committee they could perhaps speak to an individual member of parliament as an individual member of parliament, and that member of parliament may well want to bring some or all of that content to the committee.

I have participated in a constituent meeting with another two members of parliament, but certainly not as a formal committee hearing. As I said, I would refuse to participate in any meeting that excludes any member of the committee.

The PRESIDENT: I thank the member. He referred to the Clerk bringing him up. I think he needs to be careful, as he has been, in not exploring the deliberations of the committee. The Leader of the Opposition has a supplementary, I gather.