Government Transparency and Accountability

Mr GERARD MARTIN: My question is directed to the Premier. Will the Premier inform the House of measures to improve the transparency and accountability of the Government?

The SPEAKER: Order! Opposition members will remain silent.

Mr NATHAN REES: I thank the member for Bathurst for his question on this most important matter. On day one of my premiership I said that I was going to rebuild people's confidence in the administration of this Government step by step. That means more accountability and more transparency. We have heard a lot from members opposite today and on previous days about demands for more scrutiny of government, and I am going to give them what they wish. This year the Parliament sits in New South Wales for a record number of days—the most we have sat in 19 years. Next year we will break that record. Next year this Parliament will sit for an additional two weeks. And we can look forward to more sterling-quality questions, such as those we have had today.

The SPEAKER: Order! Opposition members will remain silent.

Mr NATHAN REES: That means that on current projections the jurisdiction of New South Wales will have more sitting days in Parliament than any other State or Territory or the Commonwealth.

Mr Barry O'Farrell: Point of order—

The SPEAKER: Order! Government members will remain silent.

Mr Barry O'Farrell: I simply want clarification. Does that mean having question times on Friday or more bodgie sitting days?

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Coffs Harbour to order. The Premier has the call.

Mr NATHAN REES: That means an additional two weeks of sittings that will make us the most scrutinised government of any Parliament in Australia.

[Interruption]

If the member for Coffs Harbour is laughing it is a reflection on him.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Coffs Harbour to order for the second time. I call the member for Wakehurst to order for the second time.

Mr NATHAN REES: This year the Commonwealth Parliament sat for 69 days, Victoria sat for 49, Queensland sat for 43, South Australia 51—

Mr Barry O'Farrell: There is a question time every day.

Mr NATHAN REES: You will have to do a lot better if you are going to have more question times, given the paucity of questions you have had today.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting.

Mr NATHAN REES: Western Australia sat for 60 days, Tasmania 46, the Northern Territory 31, the Australian Capital Territory 31. Next year New South Wales will sit for 70 days—more than any other jurisdiction in the Commonwealth and more than the Commonwealth Parliament.