Committee Memberships - Appointments

[12.15 p.m.]

Ms BURNET (Clark) - Honourable Speaker, it's been an interesting discussion in relation to people wanting to step up to join the Public Accounts Committee, and I support the honourable member for Clark, Mr Bayley's amendment to the motion.

I've heard a lot of the arguments for and against that, and I do believe that there is an opportunity to perhaps broaden the committee and perhaps even think about this in the context of having that scrutiny. As the honourable member for Franklin, Mr O'Byrne, has stated, this is a really important committee for that scrutiny. The scrutiny, I believe, really should be coming from those members who are not necessarily members of the government, and that's where we see most of that scrutiny coming from when you read the Hansard and see the broadcasts from a Public Accounts Committee. The questions quite often are coming from nongovernment members and there are reasons that there is that accountability seen particularly at the Public Accounts Committee that would benefit from the Greens' presence at that committee.

However, I think that there is a role for this to be considered in a larger context. I know that the beginning of the term is when committees are considered and committee membership is considered. I put it to this House that this may be something that is considered by Standing Orders Committee, as to how large that membership of the important committee of Public Accounts is, the work of Public Accounts is.