Page 2585 - Week 09 - Thursday, 8 August 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Mr Wood mentioned the Franklin dam case. I think it worthwhile to mention that the decision by the Federal Government to use the so-called external affairs power to govern the internal affairs of a State in Australia was an appalling violation of constitutional law and intention.
Mr Connolly: That is not what the High Court said.
MR STEVENSON: The fact that it got through the High Court on challenge by one vote changes the matter not one iota.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (11.58), in reply: Very briefly, I would like to thank members for their comments on my statement, Mr Speaker. There is no doubt that members do have an appreciation of the significance of the issues that are being dealt with by the Special Premiers Conference process and an appreciation of the impact of those issues on the ACT. It was particularly interesting to hear from Mr Kaine, who has been a participant in that process. I would like to say that I share Mr Kaine's view that the Special Premiers Conference really should receive wider publicity. People need to understand the extent of the reforms that are going on and the impact that they will have on the lives of all Australians, not the least being us in the ACT.
Mr Speaker, let me just look forward for a moment. The next Special Premiers Conference, in November of this year, I think will face challenges at least as large as and possibly larger than the one held in July. We will be dealing there with the issue of reforming intergovernmental financial relations, including issues relating to taxation powers and the extent of tied grants. I think those issues, dealing as they will with the funding arrangements for the States, will be at least as controversial and at least as difficult to resolve as the issues that have been agreed upon so far.
I can only express the hope that at that time in November there will still prevail amongst the Premiers and Chief Ministers the kind of bipartisan goodwill towards reform that has been evident so far. I think that, if the attitude of this Assembly is anything to go by, the November Special Premiers Conference should again exhibit that kind of goodwill. I hope that it does, because I think there are reforms that very much need to be made, and I think that the Commonwealth Government does generally have the goodwill of the rest of the governments of Australia in pursuing those reforms.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .