As most know, I don’t go for one-line grabs nor seek sensational headlines. My focus is on the issues, what underpins them, including decision making processes or legislation/policy, and if there’s a problem, how it can be rectified.
As a new MP I saw the inequities within Chamber, where the crossbench was not afforded the staffing resources provided to the major parties. Given that the crossbench represents large portions of Queensland with diverse communities, viewpoints and issues meant their constituents were being disadvantaged. Through the work of our office and interns, and with the support of both sides of the Chamber, this was rectified last year.
This leads to the next issue. Inequities in the Committee system, including inefficiencies of Estimates hearings!
Now I can hear your moan – how boring! However, before you stop reading and look for something more sensational, step back and think about what eventually leads to the big headlines, which is usually a symptom, not the cause. The cycle governments find themselves in of not meeting expectations through some band-aiding and short election cycles, leads to major issues going unresolved as they are often not quick to fix, nor of much interest to media!
As a unicameral or ‘one Chamber’ Parliament, we are a bit different to others who have both an upper and lower house. That means our committee system must work as effectively as it can to offset a lack of this extra level of scrutiny.
Investigations and research led to two years of my requesting some of the identified deficiencies be addressed, sadly with little progress. However, happily last month, I joined former Ministers and orchestrators of the current Committee system, Judy Spence and Laurence Springborg, in a livestreamed event to mark the 10th anniversary of its introduction. We discussed what was intended, what eventuated, what was omitted and what could be improved. As well, we answered questions from the moderator and those who joined online! We all agreed that yes, it is a good system, however, needs modernising and greater transparency. With New Zealand leading the way in terms of a culture of bipartisan agreements, we may have a bit of a challenge there, however, adopting some of their practices is a good start. This includes getting rid of casting votes, reducing time for Ministerial statements, and what can we say about those Dorothy Dixers? Keeping Government accountable is not an easy task, more so when Opposition and cross benchers are constrained by time restrictions at Estimates time, and it was interesting to hear that when this current system was developed, there was not to be these constraints. This must have been lost somewhere in translation?
And then there is the oversight responsibilities of committees. This is for another time and another column as it encompasses much more than you may realise. Even though it may not seem important to you at this moment, if you ever have an unresolved issue with QBCC or similar and have to take this to an independent entity such as an Ombudsman, you will get an understanding of the importance of these. Again happily, last sitting more MPs have joined our efforts, with calls across the Chamber for reform with a focus on greater transparency and equity in the committee system and processes. We will get there!
To check out the livestreamed panel event, head to parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-committees/ten-year-anniversary, or for information on what committees do, including my own Legal Affairs and Safety, head to parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-committees/committees
As always, too much to share, so please keep updated by subscribing to our newsletter or searching for updates on Noosa 360 both at sandybolton.com
Until next month, enjoy a bit of quiet time before Christmas and border reopenings frenzy.
