[Greens-Media] Government abandons scrutiny

[Manderson, Roland]

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ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey MEDIA RELEASE
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Thurs 4 May 06

Government abandons scrutiny

ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey has argued that the majority Labor Government has shown its true colours, and abandoned its commitment to transparency and accountability.

"Government accountability depends on rigorous scrutiny and, given the significance of this year's budget, the Estimates process in June will be vital" Dr Foskey said today.

"But when push comes to shove, the ACT Government has used its majority in the Assembly today to ensure the Estimates Committee will be stacked with compliant government backbenchers, taking up time with a stream of Dorothy Dixers, and with a government member as chair."

"Not content with keeping secret the Functional Review of the ACT Public Service, the ACT Government will now do its best to shut the Assembly Committee process down."
 
"The debate in the Assembly today was full of invective and party posturing. Clearly the ACT Assembly is moving away from the collegiate approach it has had in the past. The Labor Government is now modelling itself on the Howard Government." 

"This degeneration of Assembly processes is by no means the entire responsibility of the ACT Labor Government.  It became very clear in the debate that the Government's action today is, in part, payback for the bullying behaviour of the Liberal members on last year's Estimates Committee."
 
"But the whole community shouldn't be made to pay for the petty party politics in the Assembly, by the nobbling of a vital committee."

"Most unfortunate, however, is the admission by this Government that it will follow in the steps of the Howard Government in the use of its majority. "



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Roland Manderson   Media Advisor
ACT   Greens    MLA  Deb  Foskey  
Legislative Assembly for the ACT 
ph(02)62050551      m 0412241379
==== www.act.greens.org.au ===== 
  
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