[no bill text published] Ministers Must Tell Local Lawmakers About Grant Details
Government Sector Finance Amendment (Grants) Bill (No 2) 2023
Opposition BillLegislative Assembly
Legislative Council
Assent
Topics
anti-corruption government accountability government oversight government spending government transparency ministerial conduct political ethics public finance public grants
Introduced by: Gareth Ward (LIB)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Mr MATT KEAN
“I congratulate the member for Kiama on his outstanding work on behalf of the good taxpayers of New South Wales. He is not only an outstanding local member, as endorsed by his community, but also someone who takes a keen interest in matters of State.”
Jo Haylen ALP
“The Government opposes the Government Sector Finance Amendment (Grants) Bill (No 2) 2023. The bill makes two amendments to the Government Sector Finance Act 2018. The first amendment provides that a breach of section 10.3A (1) or (2) of the Government Sector Finance Act is taken to be a substantial breach of a ministerial code of conduct. Section 10.”
Mr GARETH WARD
“To recap for those members who may not have had the opportunity to assess the detail, the bill seeks to do two simple things. First, it seeks to provide for a consequence for the breach of the grants framework that was supported by this House. I agreed with the Government’s move to establish a framework around the assessment of government grants; I thought that was a very sensible change.”
News articles and press releases
Government Sector Finance Amendment (Grants) Bill (No 2) 2023
Mr GARETH WARD, Member for Kiama — 2023-06-22
My bill proposes two very simple provisions: first, non-compliance with the new provisions with respect to the administration of State Government grants would be an express breach of the ministerial code; and, second, as soon as possible after approving a grant to which the Grants Administration Guide applies, the Minister must give details of the grant to each member of the Legislative Assembly who represents an electorate in which the grant will be administered. I move these amendments for two principal reasons. First, whilst well intentioned, the amendments moved by the Government in its original amending bill appear to have no consequences for Ministers who do not comply other than the obvious and already apparent provisions of the ICAC regulations—that a breach of the law is a breach of the ministerial code.