Page 1300 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 2021
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Look at how Chief Minister Barr has looked after his own electorate of Kurrajong—four ministers flying that Kurrajong flag: Mr Barr; our Greens leader, Mr Rattenbury; health minister, Rachel Stephen-Smith; and environment minister, Rebecca Vassarotti. Canberrans know that all the important decisions are made by ministers sitting around the cabinet table. What a shame that the Chief Minister decided not to have anyone there to represent the good people of Yerrabi.
It is worth noting that the Gungahlin Community Council, of which Mr Braddock is a former member, said that the council had taken the drastic step to call for the suspension of government land sales until planning laws are reviewed after “years of lobbying the government about the unclear planning rules”. The council does not mince words. In its submission it says that it has completely lost confidence in the planning system—in other words, the government. Has Mr Braddock also completely lost confidence in his Labor-Greens government because of its ongoing neglect of the electorate?
Before concluding, I draw attention to remarks by Greens leader, Shane Rattenbury, on this issue:
It is evident that there are significant planning challenges in the Gungahlin town centre. The community has repeatedly asked for green space, community facilities and commercial opportunities to build a more viable place to live.
Yes they have, Mr Rattenbury. So why have you not been listening? If the Greens leader is so alert to these issues, what has he been doing about them since he was elected 13 years ago in 2008?
I support Mr Braddock’s motion effectively calling on his own government to end the neglect of Gungahlin. The fact that the member has to move a motion and call, for example, for a single point of contact in his own government to liaise with about issues affecting Gungahlin shows how dire the situation is. The Gungahlin Community Council has completely lost confidence in the government’s planning system and it seemed to me that Mr Braddock’s motion reveals that he has too—completely lost confidence in his own government to pay attention to an area that has been left off the ACT map.
Motion (by Mr Gentleman) proposed:
That the debate be adjourned.
Mr Hanson: My understanding is that I was going to be allowed to speak.
MADAM SPEAKER: I will put the question. Mr Gentleman has the call.
Mr Gentleman: Madam Speaker, due to the issues that you raised earlier about consideration from the groups across the chamber, I have moved:
That the debate be adjourned.
Question put.
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