CITIZEN’S RIGHT OF REPLY—MR JOEL DIGNAM

S T A N D I N G C O M M I T T E E O N A D M I N I S T R A T I O N A N D P R O C E D U R E

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REPORT 11

C I T I Z E N ’ S R I G H T O F R E P L Y — M R J O E L D I G N A M

THE COMM ITTEE

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIPJoy Burch MLA (Chair)

Tara Cheyne MLA

Caroline Le Couteur (7 March 2019)

Shane Rattenbury MLA

Andrew Wall MLA

SECRETARIATTom Duncan (Secretary)

Janice Rafferty (Assistant Secretary)

CONTACT INFORMATION

Telephone 02 6205 0173

Facsimile 02 6205 3109

Post GPO Box 1020, CANBERRA ACT 2601

Email admin.proc@parliament.act.gov.au

Website www.parliament.act.gov.au

RESOLUTION OF APPOINTMENT

In 1995 the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory (‘the Assembly’) amended

Standing Order 16, which established the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure (‘the Committee’).

Standing Order 16 authorises the Committee to inquire into and report on, among other things, the practices and procedure of the Assembly.

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S T A N D I N G C O M M I T T E E O N A D M I N I S T R A T I O N A N D P R O C E D U R E

TABLE OF CONTENTS

T H E C O M M I T T E E ..............................................................................................................ICommittee Membership i

Secretariat i

Contact Information i

Resolution of Appointment i

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N ......................................................................................................I I I

1 A P P L I C A T I O N F O R C I T I Z E N ’ S R I G H T O F R E P L Y : M R J O E L D I G N A M ...............1

A P P E N D I X A - R E S P O N S E B Y M R J O E L D I G N A M ....................................................2

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C I T I Z E N ’ S R I G H T O F R E P L Y — M R J O E L D I G N A M

RECO MMEND ATI ON

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N 11.5 The Committee recommends that a response by Mr Joel Dignam in the terms specified in Appendix A,

be incorporated in Hansard.

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1 A P P L I C AT I O N F O R C I T I Z E N ’ S R I G H T O F R E P LY : M R J O E L D I G N A M

1.1 On 25 February 2019 the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Ms Joy Burch MLA received a submission from Mr Joel Dignam, seeking redress under the resolution of the Assembly of 4 May 1995, as amended 6 March 2008, relating to a citizen’s right of reply (Continuing Resolution 4).

1.2 The submission referred to comments made by Mr Mark Parton MLA in the Assembly on 19 February 2019. The Speaker accepted the submission for the purposes of the continuing resolution and referred it to the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure.

1.3 The committee met on 7 March 2019 and, pursuant to paragraph (3) of Continuing Resolution 4, decided to consider the submission. The committee resolved to recommend that a response agreed to by the committee and Mr Dignam be incorporated in Hansard.

1.4 The Committee draws attention to paragraph (6) of the continuing resolution which requires that, in considering a submission under this resolution and reporting to the Assembly the Committee shall not consider or judge the truth of any statements made in the Assembly or of the submission.

Recommendation 11.5 The Committee recommends that a response by Mr Joel Dignam in the terms specified in

Appendix A, be incorporated in Hansard.

Joy Burch MLAChair

March 2019

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A P P E N D I X A - R E S P O N S E B Y M R J O E L D I G N A M

Recently in the ACT Assembly Mark Parton MLA to make various claims about me. I would like to set the record straight on a few matters that Mr. Parton raised.

Mr. Parton criticised the “House of ‘Lords” report that I had worked on for Better Renting. For the record, the report used the best data available. When I worked on the “House of ‘Lords” report for Better Renting I reviewed public declarations of interest from MLAs. In addition, I contacted MLAs on multiple occasions to ask them to clarify or confirm their own status. Where the public record was ambiguous, I made an effort to follow-up with individual MLAs. Some MLAs frustrated this research by not responding to the survey. I note that this issue could be avoided with greater transparency requirements through the disclosures process.

Further, Mr. Parton stated “… [Joel Dignam] is not actually advocating for renters, ladies and gentlemen; he is pushing Greens policy.”

For the record, Better Renting is non-partisan and focused on policy objectives. I founded Better Renting as a not-for-profit and registered it with the Australian Charities and Non-Profits Commission. The objects of Better Renting are:

improving housing outcomes for renters with respect to stability, affordability, and liveability, to advance social welfare (‘the principal object’);

building a community of renters to work towards achieving the principal object; and promoting or opposing a change to any matter established by law, policy or practice in the

Commonwealth, a state, a territory or another country which furthers the principal object.

All my work with Better Renting is done in pursuit of these aims. The work is not done in support of any one political party, but in support of policy proposals that further these aims. This relies on the best available evidence in assessing the merits of policy proposals. I am happy to be judged on my record of work with Better Renting, which shows an abiding commitment towards obtaining stable, affordable, and liveable homes for people who rent.

Mr. Parton MLA also stated “Joel was probably gathering data for the Greens”, and later implied that data collected by Better Renting is being funnelled to the Greens. For the record, Better Renting is responsible about protecting supporter privacy, and Mr. Parton’s claims have no basis in fact. Better Renting has a publicly available privacy policy and abides by the Australian Privacy Principles. Any data is collected consistent with our privacy policy, to enable people who rent to take part in Better Renting campaigns. I have shared no Better Renting data or personal information with any political party.

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