Subordinate Legislation Committee, 05 Oct 2004

Meeting date: Tuesday, October 5, 2004

Official Report 106KB pdf

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Regulatory Framework Inquiry

Item 7 concerns options for the committee's regulatory framework inquiry. The Conveners Group was not happy with the second proposal that we put to it for visiting Australia in November. The main issue was cost: the amount for which we were asking was a substantial part of the Conveners Group budget. We considered various ways in which we might reduce the cost, but there was still an issue with the budget.

There are various ways in which we can proceed. We will examine the feedback from the consultation paper, which we would have done anyway. We outlined to the Conveners Group the difficulty of doing extensive videoconferencing, which we still regard as a difficulty. We might do limited videoconferencing, but no more than that. Therefore, we still need to think about how to make progress on a substantive review of an area that is important to the Parliament. One suggestion is that we tackle the matter head on and try to find other moneys that might be available to the committee. I suggest that we write to Paul Grice to investigate that opportunity and see where we go from there.

I agree. I understand the impact that the proposed trip could have on the Conveners Group budget—we have been informed that the trip would take a large chunk of that budget—but the inquiry would, we hope, lead to a bill that would put in place a process that would last for a generation. The inquiry and the trip are not of the type that happen once a year, every year, so perhaps we should try other sources of funding. Your suggestion of going to the chief executive and explaining the circumstances and the problems that the inquiry might cause for the Conveners Group budget is worth while. Perhaps the trip should be considered in isolation, rather than along with the normal away days and other local trips for which the Conveners Group budget is intended.

Are we all agreed with that proposal?

Members indicated agreement.

With the recess coming up, is the committee happy that the clerk and I should proceed with that approach and see how far we get with the proposal that we made to the most recent Conveners Group meeting, which was based on two people going?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you for your attendance.

Meeting closed at 10:54.