Page 577 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 20 March 1990
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issue and of course that is the approvals and orders legislation.
Mr Speaker, I had in my office last week one Mr Bob Winnell - a member of the Liberal Party, I am led to believe - who was asking me about what kind of approvals and objections legislation I thought might come out of this Government. I had to tell him I had no idea.
Mr Kaine: Well, why does he not come and ask me?
MS FOLLETT: I have no idea.
Mr Kaine: Well, why did you not tell him to come and ask me?
MS FOLLETT: I have no idea, Mr Speaker, why he has not approached the Government when he claims publicly to have put that Government in place. I did suggest to him that he go and see the Government because I had to say, along with the rest of the ACT community, that at this point I have no idea what kind of orders and approvals arrangements the Government might have in mind, and that is the crucial part of the legislation that may well overcome the problems we are facing with the Canberra Times site. We have heard not a word from this so-called Government about any of that legislation, not a word. The leader is enthusiastic, the deputy leader is relaxed. Well, I am happy for them, but Canberra suffers in the meantime.
We have also heard a great deal of waffle from members opposite concerning the committee's report and, as members know, that report calls for some conditions to be met before there is any action taken on this site, and those conditions concern parking restrictions, an assessment of the impact of the redevelopment, a process for public comment and an undertaking that Administration employees be located in a manner which is consistent with the principles of the dispersed plan. We have heard not a word from the so-called Government on that either. What we have heard from Mr Collaery is that these matters are being quietly pursued behind closed doors. Where is the public consultation? Where is the process that is being followed? Where is the public knowledge of what is going on? It is being "quietly pursued", as Mr Collaery says, not in a manner that is available to the public to comment upon.
Mr Collaery: Because there was a court hearing on until 13 March.
Mr Kaine: She has not heard that though, she has been in cloud-cuckoo-land.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MS FOLLETT: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I do object to the manner in which the Government carries on its business - making known its intentions through the media and then
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