Minister Tara Cheyne faced a censure motion over actions on Canberra’s library hours and legislation to fix an administrative error in issuing seatbelt infringements by mobile detection cameras. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Attorney-General Tara Cheyne has been censured by the Legislative Assembly for closing Canberra’s libraries on Sundays despite an Assembly directive to hold off on the decision.
The Canberra Liberals’ original motion also sought to censure her over the administrative error that has called into question the legality of almost 13,000 fines issued by detection cameras for seatbelt offences.
“Ministers are meant to hold the public service to account. Instead we get libraries closed against the will of the Assembly, the wider Canberra community and thousands of drivers slugged with fines that should never have been issued,” Canberra Liberals leader Mark Parton said.
“Censure is the strongest tool this parliament has short of no confidence. If ministers can shrug off an Assembly motion and preside over unlawful infringements, responsible government is just a slogan.”
ACT Greens deputy leader Andrew Braddock narrowed the censure’s scope to just focus on the libraries.
A private members bill from 12 June included several requirements for the ACT Government, including not reducing library evening opening hours until pick-up lockers were available and pausing any proposed hours changes until the legislation enabling the budget passed.
But the ACT Government went ahead with changes on 27 August.
Mr Braddock took issue with this move, stating it went against community wishes.
“There’s an increasingly concerning pattern of Assembly resolutions being treated as optional rather than authoritative expressions of the will of the Parliament,” he said.
“When motions are passed by the Assembly, ministers have an obligation to take them seriously.”
Independent Kurrajong MLA Thomas Emerson attempted to have the censure motion downgraded to an admonishment.
He compared statements about Ms Cheyne’s actions to previous censure motions against Minister Chris Steel and now-backbencher Yvette Berry, saying the conduct wasn’t on the same level.
“I think, in this case, it’s not a matter of a minister’s incompetence; it’s not a matter of a lack of oversight – it’s a matter of us disagreeing with a decision that was made,” Mr Emerson said.
“We have other mechanisms to debate and condemn government decisions in the Assembly, while reserving censure motions for clear instances of government incompetence.
“I completely disagree with what the ACT Government’s doing to our libraries. But if we lower the threshold and start using censure motions for every disagreement, they risk becoming meaningless.”
Now-independent Yerrabi MLA Leanne Castley went further.
“We already know the Opposition clearly intends to censure, smear and whinge their way to the 2028 election,” she said of her former party.
“It’s not a winning strategy … it’s an electoral dead-end even at the best of times.”
The Canberra Liberals, ACT Greens and Murrumbidgee independent MLA Fiona Carrick voted down the attempt to downgrade the censure motion.
Ms Cheyne expressed astonishment that she could be censured for moving ahead with changes meant to fix underlying staffing and culture issues at Canberra’s libraries following a review.
“What most concerns me … is that I was clear during that debate on 12 June … about what I could and couldn’t do,” she said.
“I’m not sure how [much] clearer I could have been.”
During the 12 June debate (Hansard page 2427), she did state there would be difficulties in not changing evening opening hours (referred to as 5 (c)) and not making any changes before the budget legislation was debated (referred to as 5 (e)).
“I have to be clear; this is an operational reality. I cannot do 5(c), and I cannot do 5(e),” Ms Cheyne said at the time.
“I can try and do 5(c) as best as we possibly can – I will try – but I cannot do 5(e).”
Ms Cheyne added an amendment to the censure motion outlining the government’s commitment to expanding community access to ACT libraries, including prioritising weekend branch access at Kippax and Erindale from July 2027, and to publish an evaluation of the library operating arrangements by March 2027.
The Assembly standing orders state that if the government or a minister are unable to meet a deadline to undertake a certain action from an Assembly resolution, they “shall write to all Members of the Assembly directly informing them that the deadline will not be met and including the reasons for the delay”.
The Canberra Liberals, ACT Greens and independent Fiona Carrick voted to censure Ms Cheyne.
Deputy Chief Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith expressed her disbelief that her colleague had been censured “for not delivering the impossible”.
“It is extraordinary that this place is going to censure a minister for doing their job,” she said.
“I am very, very disappointed in [certain] members of this place.”
