Page 1145 - Week 04 - Thursday, 21 March 1991
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One has to wonder why it took so long for the Labor Government within its caucus to come up with a decision on those processes. They could not come up with it, and they wanted to put it out for further community consultation despite the fact that community consultation on this issue of appeals had, in fact, started as early as 1988. Both Mr Moore and I, and Mr Collaery and others, were involved in that particular debate. It was quite clear what the community wanted in relation to an appeals process. Labor could not do it, but the Alliance Government, almost at the time that it came into office, had available a policy, an Alliance policy that clearly established the process by which appeals and betterment could be put into the legislation.
On 22 February, Mr Kaine, as Chief Minister and Minister responsible for planning, provided a paper which indicated to the people of Canberra that the legislation that we were proposing would include those issues. He made those statements on that particular date. That is one of the reasons why we are debating this issue today. As Mr Connolly well knows, at the time I was not suggesting that the Labor Party was being slack because it was producing something; I was saying that it was being slack because it was not producing anything. At least on 22 February this Government produced the start, if you like, of an exposure draft - - -
Mr Connolly: As a consequence of the Follett drafting instructions.
MR JENSEN: No, it was as a consequence of coming to government, Mr Connolly, because the previous - - -
Ms Follett: Where is the Bill?
MR JENSEN: Ms Follett, you never gave us a Bill. We, at least, gave you a draft Bill within months of coming to office - also a draft planning Bill and a draft heritage Bill.
Ms Follett: Why do you not wave it at us, like Mr Kaine?
MR JENSEN: I do; I will. In fact, the second version of those Bills, Ms Follett, is included in there as well. They were put out for public consultation at the end of last year. So, let us not talk, Ms Follett and Mr Connolly, about failure. We, in fact, produced; you guys did not, because you could not make up your own minds within your own caucus. But the Alliance Government was able to do that almost immediately. As it came to office, it had its policy on the table.
Mr Connolly: As a result of the drafting instructions issued by the Follett Government.
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