ACT budget estimates will be delayed an entire week following a stand off over COVID safety precautions that devolved into a privileges scandal in the territory's parliament.
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The select estimates committee issued a statement late on Tuesday to confirm the two-week block of hearings would begin on August 22.
"The committee views COVID safety practices as a high priority and has undertaken a risk assessment for the purposes of holding estimates hearings to comply with the WorkSafe ACT prohibition notice served on the Speaker in addition to the COVID safe plan already in place for the Assembly," the committee's statement said.
The committee said it was consulting with witnesses and would only invite ministers, Legislative Assembly offices, statutory officers and the Speaker.
Public servants would be unable to attend at this stage, the committee said.
"In order to ensure that the hearings can proceed as soon and as safely as practical, hearings will be held in the Chamber to maximise social distancing and all other COVID safe protocols will be in place," the committee said.
Hearings would begin as scheduled on Monday, August 22, provided the prohibition notice has been lifted, with the hearings scheduled to take place this week to begin on August 29.
"This position has been taken in order to start the estimates processes as soon as possible while taking all necessary precautions in order to meet the condition of the Prohibition notice from WorkSafe ACT," the committee said.
Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee said earlier on Tuesday evening she did not know when estimates would resume.
"We're still in the dark about what's going to happen for the rest of the week," Ms Lee told Sky News.
It came as inspectors from the ACT's workplace safety watchdog were unable to find any evidence of a risk assessment undertaken for committee hearings at the Legislative Assembly.
The WorkSafe notice was first served to speaker Joy Burch on Friday afternoon after inspectors found the Assembly had not identified "reasonably foreseeable risks in the workplace or implemented adequate control measures" in relation to COVID-19.
Ms Burch on Monday said she was considering taking legal action against WorkSafe ACT in the Supreme Court over the notice, saying it represented a "grave threat to the privileges of the Assembly".
But inspectors issued a further notice on Monday after nobody was able to provide evidence that a risk assessment had been undertaken in relation to the committee hearings.
The new notice said that inspectors had requested evidence of a risk assessment undertaken in relation to the estimate hearings from committee deputy chair Andrew Braddock and Legislative Assembly Clerk Tom Duncan.
It said that neither were able to provide evidence of an assessment, the notice also said neither could "demonstrate knowledge" of any assessment.
The select estimates committee on Tuesday said it believed its constitutional power of inquiry could be upheld to scrutinise the budget in a COVID safe manner.
The Canberra Times understands the committee's majority view was the estimates hearings should be held in person, rather than by teleconference.
Estimates hearings with government ministers were due to be held over a two-week period from August 15. In the hearings, ministers face questions about the recent 2022-23 ACT budget.
The hearings were to be held face-to-face but Workplace Safety Minister Mick Gentleman had raised concerns over some officials being forced to attend in-person.
An ACT government spokesman confirmed advice was sought from WorkSafe about the face-to-face hearings.
Meanwhile, Community and Public Sector Union regional secretary Maddy Northam wrote to Mr Duncan saying it was the union's understanding that the Clerk provided advice to Ms Burch that work, health and safety functions do not take precedence over the Assembly's legislative, representative and accountability functions.
"This statement is not only deeply concerning but suggests that you consider the Assembly to be above or immune from WHS requirements that apply to every other workplace in the country," Ms Northam wrote.
But Mr Duncan said he outright rejected any suggestions he did not take the health and safety of employees seriously.
In response to Ms Northam, he said that the Work Health and Safety Act did apply to the Assembly and there was a health and safety committee which was responsible for overseeing the requirements of the act and a COVID safe plan was a standing agenda item.
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Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry was asked on Tuesday whether she felt WorkSafe had gone beyond its remit but she would not comment on the matter.
Ms Berry said social distancing in the committee rooms was difficult and it was important the Assembly ensured workers were as safe as possible.
"We do want to make sure that everybody's safe during those committee hearings and that's the main thing," she said.
"We've been able to have those committee hearings online over the past couple of years and the government's been held to account."
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