Page 1801 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 1 May 1991
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submission and to bring it back to a community meeting. So there they are, trying to establish a community association to protect their suburb and at the same time trying to write a report of this nature. The time simply is totally inadequate and it makes an absolute farce of community consultation.
The Liberals, along with the Residents Rally, and almost all people in this Assembly, have at least paid lip service to this notion of allowing the community to have a fair and reasonable chance to be consulted. This is anything but fair; it is anything but reasonable. I believe that those who are thinking and listening to the debate and who are concerned about this issue are very much aware that that is the case.
There have been no reasonable arguments put up by the Government, by any member of the Government, to say that the three-week period is the most appropriate period - not a single argument. The best the Government could come up with was an attack from Mr Humphries on me, saying that the only reason for this motion is to delay the procedure. Certainly, I have made it quite clear that I do intend to delay the procedure where that is possible. At the same time, I think that Mr Humphries, having listened today and having read the papers over the last week, would realise that this is not just a delay of a procedural matter. I have been prepared to compromise on a three-week extension, unlike Dr Kinloch, who is going, quite appropriately, for a much more appropriate period; but that is not the basis of this argument today.
The basis of this argument today is what suits the community and what is most appropriate for the community. I urge each and every one of you to think about what you can do for the community and how you would feel if you were the one trying to go through this material, trying to consult with the residents in your own community, and trying to come up with a reasonable response to these draft variations, these faulty documents. You probably were not aware of that, but you know that to be the case now; you know that they are faulty. So, for heaven's sake, support this motion and let us get a bit more time.
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