Page 957 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 26 July 1989
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development at Narrabundah known as Rocky Knoll, and also access to the section 52 development in the Boulevard. That development, of course, in the Boulevard is for a hotel, a proposed hotel, when we have got a glut of five-star hotels.
The very nature of the request followed admissions by the Chief Minister, immediately after election, that she had been surprised that a Federal Minister had made decisions on at least two of those issues, given the public interest in the matter and the fact that they should await the election for the ACT Assembly. So what did we get back three or four days ago, six weeks after our request? We got back a letter saying that we needed to establish that access to those documents was in the public interest, that there was a public interest issue raised, that the onus lay upon the Rally to prove there was a public interest in those matters. Also we were advised that in the absence of that proof we had to pay a fee of $2,255.
Is that open government? And why has not this Assembly since 11 May moved, as soon as practicable, to make laws for the establishing of a planning authority so we know where we are going, so we get access to documents, so the planning committee of this Assembly can find out what is going on behind the mind of this planning Minister - planning Chief Minister - who, presumably, takes most of her advice from her development-oriented Deputy Chief Minister?
Members interjected.
MR COLLAERY: Mr Speaker, the members opposite me are showing some sensitivity on this score, and they will squirm a bit further when my friend Mr Moore gets up, I am sure. Mr Speaker, the Government that promised itself to open government now wants to charge the Rally $2,255 to get access to information that it should be entitled to in this Assembly. We also ask for access to the Scrivener Dam papers, the fish farm case, or whatever it is called. We were told it is not a matter in the public domain, it is not a matter of public interest, and - - -
Mr Berry: On a point of order, I find quite entertaining the long description of freedom of information applications, but I think it would be more appropriate for Mr Collaery to stick to the issue that is before the house, instead of wandering off on issues that seem to me to be irrelevant and do not go to the article that is before the house for debate.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Collaery, please stick closer to the point.
Mr Whalan: I also would like to take a point of order, Mr Speaker. There was reference made to the national aquarium and you might recall that the last time Mr Collaery slandered an innocent citizen, using parliamentary privilege - - -
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