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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-10-13 Daily Xml
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Parliamentary Committees

Select Committee on the Effectiveness of the Current System of Parliamentary Committees

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. C. Bonaros:

That the report of the select committee be noted.

(Continued from 22 September 2021.)

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (17:15): I rise to speak briefly to this important motion that is based on an important piece of work that a committee of the Legislative Council undertook in relation to the effectiveness of committees. The Hon. Ms Bonaros has already outlined the major features of the recommendations of the report, and I do not propose to traverse all of them. I believe these amendments, when enacted, will be the most significant amendments to parliamentary committees in the parliament for 20 or 25 years. I think the last significant amendments were in the period of the late—30 years, I suppose—eighties, early nineties, and soon after that. These are the most significant amendments to our parliamentary committees since that particular time.

There was sensible discussion amongst all parties and Labor, Liberal and crossbench parties were represented on the committee. There was give and take from all. Everyone went into that discussion with their own particular views but, ultimately, in the interests of arriving at consensus, the committee recommendations are what has evolved as a result of that discussion. I congratulate the Hon. Ms Bonaros and the other members who participated in that particular committee discussion.

In relation to the Legislative Council the lessons we have learnt from the, I think, generally successful operations of the Budget and Finance Committee have now demonstrated their worthiness, and in particular the experiment that we introduced in the Budget and Finance Committee of non-participating members being involved in the operation of that committee has proved to be very worthwhile. The recommendations now are that that be a standard option or procedure for all of our committees.

The recommendations are for three standing committees of the Legislative Council, and I am going to roll for the Budget and Finance Committee and two portfolio committees. Each parliament, the actual portfolios that would be referred to each, committee A and committee B, would need to be determined because, clearly, as a new government comes in there are new portfolios and new ministries and each parliament will need to be flexible.

Frankly, it might occur during a parliamentary term. If you have a changeover, as there was under the former government, of a new premier who came in partway through, he or she may well have new ministers and new departments and you will need to be in a position to be able to make decisions that particular portfolios would go into either committee A or B. But the system is nimble enough and agile enough to be able to adapt to that.

I think the very interesting and new innovation that is recommended here is that two non-government members would have presiding member positions on these committees, and that will require amendment to the various acts which reimburse presiding members in relation to the extra responsibilities they have.

Of the three committees, one would be chaired by a government member, one by an opposition or non-government member and one by a crossbencher, recognising that it is highly unlikely in the foreseeable future that we will not have crossbenchers represented in some number in this particular chamber, as we have had since 1979.

There are significant changes. I think the changes in relation to the joint standing committees—the Hon. Ms Bonaros had a particular passion, as indeed other members did in relation to the scrutiny of bills and the appropriate role of that particular committee. Dividing up, in essence, the legal responsibilities into two broad areas to allow for a sensible division of responsibilities makes a lot of sense.

As I said, I am not going to go through all of the recommendations. I support them and endorse them. I did want to thank the appropriate people but also to update the house, as Leader of the Government and in the discussions I had within the committee, to highlight the fact that I have not left this on the shelf to wither and die.

I have commenced discussion with parliamentary counsel—to be honest, it is only at the very early stage with parliamentary counsel—to say we need to commence the task now of drafting the appropriate changes. If significant changes are going to be required in terms of legislation, there will need to be some issues of detail, I suspect, and further consultation with opposition and crossbench members in relation to what they think we actually meant by this or how it will actually operate in terms of the detail.

We necessarily endorse the broad principles in the report. The very many details in terms of drafting legislative changes will throw up lots of interesting questions that we will need to work our way through. But I hope to be in a position, whichever government is elected after the March election, that there is a legislative package that is ready for that government. Should it be a re-election of this government, a commitment that I have given and the discussions I have had with the Premier indicate that we will be committed to introducing that package of changes.

We would hope that we would get a sort of similar commitment. I indicate that we will go through a consultation from an alternative government that those changes will need to be implemented. They will not happen on day one. The legislation can be introduced and it will have to be debated, but there may need to be a transitional provision where the existing committees operate for a short period of time until the new committees are brought into effect.

That is really all I wanted to say, to congratulate all members who participated in the committee. I indicate that it is certainly my intention to do what I can to see something based on this package ready to go for those of you who will be here post March next year. I cannot promise I will be tuning in regularly to a live stream of the debate, but should this particular issue be discussed I will at least ask one of my colleagues to give me an update in terms of how it is progressing and whether or not it has been bastardised by a parliament in the future. With that, I indicate my support for the motion.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.

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