Motion - Government Business Scrutiny Committees - Establishment

Tuesday 23 September 2025

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I move -

(1)     That two Government Businesses Scrutiny Committees be established to inquire into Government Businesses in accordance with the schedule detailed below and rules as set out in the Standing Orders at Part 22.

(2)     That the Committees have leave to sit on Monday, 24 November 2025 and Tuesday, 25 November 2025 between the hours of 9.00 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. or such other times as varied by the Chair and as necessary for the purpose of relevant stakeholder and deliberative meetings.

(3)     For 2025 Government Businesses are allocated to the Committees as follows:

Committee A

Monday, 24 November 2025

Hydro Tasmania, TasNetworks Pty Ltd, TT-Line Company Pty Ltd

Committee B

Tuesday, 25 November 2025

Sustainable Timber Tasmania, Tasmanian Ports Corporation Pty Ltd, The Public Trustee

And that -

Ms Forrest, Mr Harriss, Ms Lovell, Ms O'Connor and Ms Thomas be of Committee A and

Ms Armitage, Mr Edmunds, Mr Gaffney, Mr Hiscutt and Ms Webb be of Committee B.

(4)     And that the Committees report on the Government Businesses by no later than 30 January 2026. If the Legislative Council is not sitting when the Government Businesses Scrutiny Committees complete their reports, those reports may be presented to the President or if the President is unable to act, to the Deputy President or other Office holder and in that event:

(a)     the reports shall be deemed to have been presented to the Council;

(b)     the publication of the reports is authorised by this Resolution;

(c)     the President, Deputy President or other Office holder, as the case may be, may give directions for the printing and circulation of the reports; and

(d)     the President, Deputy President or other Office holder, as the case may be, shall direct the Clerk to lay the reports upon the Table at the next sitting of the Council.

[7.31 p.m.]

Ms ARMITAGE (Launceston) - Mr President, I am a bit betwixt and between. I can see a reason for doing it. I just hope that we can do it well. Listening to the member for Murchison, I hadn't really thought about the fact that we can call them back if other things come up. Initially I was thinking, 'Yes, this is great', then I'm thinking, 'Oh no, I'm not really sure' - and no, member for Murchison, I haven't been got at by the government, I'm just a little betwixt and between, thinking, 'Can we do it justice straight after Estimates? Can we get that done well?'

Ms Forrest - Questions that are turfed off by the ministers to the GBE, you'll be ready. When they do that at Budget Estimates, they'll say that's a matter for the company.

Ms ARMITAGE - I was hoping that lots of people would speak. Maybe I've given them a chance to have a bit of a think while I'm standing up here. Initially when it was mentioned to me, I thought, 'That's a great idea. We shouldn't be doing it too far away from the annual reports.' Then the other part of me is thinking, 'Gosh, we have Estimates there. Do we have time to get all the questions for Estimates, then basically go in the next week?'

Of course, you're right about stakeholders. We have a month where we can go back to stakeholders. I don't recall too many who have questioned much about the annual report. Occasionally they do, but it's more something that we scrutinise and find a lot of questions from.

I am really hoping that other people get up and speak. I'm leaning towards supporting the member for Murchison again now. I have vacillated both ways. I'd hate to think that we're trying to cram something in because it is the end of the year, and don't do it full justice. On the other hand, perhaps they can be called back. I'm hoping other people will speak.