Twyford Phil: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Twyford Phil: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:668;Page:14914] 
PHIL TWYFORD (Labour) 
: 
 I will pick up on the whole question that Trevor Mallard spoke about in relation to the checks and balances on Ministers. Those checks and balances are a really important part of the conventions of accountable government. The conduct of the Minister responsible for this bill the Hon Murray McCully and the Minister who in all likelihood will be the Minister for the Rugby World Cup is an affront to the conventions of accountable government. I will give members a couple of examples that I think are relevant to this whole debate about the granting of urgency powers. This Minister as the Minister of Foreign Affairs has in recent times appointed a former National MP Mark Blumsky to a position. The Minister intervened to award a contract worth $78000 and he awarded it to a former National MP Mark Blumsky. 
Jo Goodhew 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I am looking for relevance to this part and I fail to find it. [ 
Interruption 
] 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker) 
: No we are not going to have that thank you. I say to the member that although members have said this is a wide-ranging debate it is not. People have strayed and I guess it is going backwards and forwards. However I suggest to the member that he needs to concentrate on Part 4. There may be other examples that he can tie in by way of example but they cannot be the main thrust of the member’s speech. We are on Part 4 and I invite the member to continue. 
PHIL TWYFORD 
: Thank you Mr Chairman and as you have said we are discussing Part 4. We are discussing in particular the granting of what we regard as excessive powers under the urgency provisions of this bill that allow the Minister for the Rugby World Cup to make decisions that override the recommendations of the officials who are empowered under this bill as the Rugby World Cup Authority. That calls into question the commitment of this Government to the normal conventions of accountable government. 
My point right now is that this Minister has demonstrated by his own ministerial record the very reasons why those conventions of accountable government must be respected. It is very easy to imagine situations where this Minister under this legislation could ignore the advice of officials and override them in the way that he has consistently as Minister of Foreign Affairs ignored the advice of foreign affairs officials. He has a track record of making decisions on a whim without any kind of policy basis. He has cut major multi-year funding contracts without any kind of evaluation or analysis being undertaken about the effectiveness of those projects. He has a cavalier approach and has systematically ignored and disregarded the advice of officials. That is relevant; that is utterly relevant to the matter that we are debating in this bill because it formalises the right of this Minister to make decisions in complete disregard of the advice that he receives from the officials and the Rugby World Cup Authority. We have seen that consistently in his conduct as Minister of Foreign Affairs. It has not only been about disregarding the advice of officials in the management of the aid programme but he has a reputation for cronyism. 
Hon Christopher Finlayson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I have listened carefully to this member’s contribution; it could only be described as emotionally incontinent. Why does he not concentrate on Part 4 instead of indulging in personal abuse? [ 
Interruption 
] 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker) 
: No I do not need that. [ 
Interruption 
] I am on my feet; there will be no interchange. The point is I was listening to the debate and I would say that the member in my view is sailing close to the wind. But the point of this legislation is that it does concentrate powers into the hands of certain people. It is not in my view outside the realm of the debate to say there might be some concerns about how these people exercise those powers. The point is that the member must concentrate on the bill and make points by way of example. I invite the member to continue. 
PHIL TWYFORD 
: Thank you Mr Chairman. Part 4 puts certain powers in the hands of the Minister for the Rugby World Cup although there are some caveats. He is required to do certain things. He is required to secure public safety and to avoid control or mitigate any adverse impacts of the event on the environment. But those caveats are minor and trifling compared with the powers that are being put into the hands of the Minister for the Rugby World Cup. It is a concern to me and to members on this side of the Chamber that the very person who will be exercising those powers under this legislation has a track record and history of disregard for the basic conventions of accountable government. We saw that back in the 1990s with regard to the Tourism Board and we see it now with the management of the foreign aid programme.