Page 4807 - Week 16 - Monday, 25 November 1991
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that because the Planning Authority has chosen not to tell them, as they were required to do in the past. That is why the community is concerned and that is why the community seeks to get itself involved.
That is why, Mr Speaker, there is a need for the Executive not to make any decisions on planning issues before they have been considered by a committee. This will maintain and strengthen the role of committees within our parliament. Mr Wood should know because during the early stages of this parliament he was the Labor Party's only representative on that committee system.
Mr Wood performed that job very well, I might add. He is aware of the importance of the committee system. That is why the proposal in clause 7 of my Bill is to require the Executive to pass all that information on to the Assembly committee so that it can do its job, and that is why it is important for the Executive not to make any final decisions until it receives a report.
Let me just correct one thing in relation to the claim that I have not raised this issue before. Let the record show, Mr Wood, that during the whole time I was chairman of the Planning Committee I raised that point with the Minister of the day, seeking to have followed the process that I have here in this legislation. As you may recall, it was also raised with you by the Planning Committee currently chaired by Mr Kaine.
We have a series of letters which, if Mr Wood feels it necessary, I am sure it will be possible to table; but I do not think that will be necessary. Suffice it to say that throughout my period in the Assembly I have sought to have Executive decisions of this nature properly put through and processed by the Planning Committee. I want to make sure, Mr Speaker, that the role of the parliament is effective and that committees do not just become rubber stamps of Executive decisions.
I am pleased to see that the Government is disposed to accept one of the amendments that was in the draft Land (Planning and Administration) Bill that was about to be brought down by the Alliance Government. It was considered by the committee. Those provisions were in the final stages of that Bill. I took that and put the disallowance provisions in because originally the planning legislation was not to take effect until 1 July. Now, of course, it is to take effect from 2 April, I believe.
Notwithstanding that, I think all aspects of these changes in the Interim Planning (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) should receive support from all sides of this parliament. I am disappointed that some have chosen not to support what I believe, and other members of the community believe, to be very important elements in relation to the overseeing of the Executive by the Assembly. On that basis I hope to get some of these issues finally through the parliament.
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