Page 624 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 20 May 1992
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through one person - not just one family - to its rural heritage, its rural past. That is what it is all about. That is what I call rural heritage. If the Minister does not understand that, he must find some conflict between his hat as the Minister for the Environment and his hat as the Minister responsible for heritage matters in the ACT Government.
Madam Speaker, I want to quote from a letter that the Minister referred to and which I tabled earlier on. This letter is dated 7 August and contains a number of conditions which are laid down for Mr Russell's edification. I quote the final paragraph. It says at the end:
Failure to either comply with these conditions or contact -
an officer in the department -
of your intentions, within 14 days, will result in the loss of your agistment on both Red Hill and Mount Mugga.
Mr Connolly: Yes, if he does not pay his bills.
MR HUMPHRIES: That is not the kind of language which I use to 87-year-olds, Mr Connolly. I do not know what sort of language you use to 87-year-olds. We know what sort of language you use to bishops, but I assume that with 87-year-olds you use slightly different language from that. Obviously, old people do not deserve much consideration, as far as some people are concerned. I would not use that language to anybody in that category, Madam Speaker.
Okay, Mr Russell has not paid his bills. Mr Russell might be late with his payment of water rates, or whatever, to the ACT Government. Does that justify the sort of treatment he has been receiving in the last few years?
Mr Wood: Yes.
MR HUMPHRIES: No, it does not. I am appalled to hear the kinds of comments that are coming from the other side of the house. It does not justify that kind of treatment. He deserves consideration. When you are 87, Mr Connolly, you might feel that you are entitled to some kind of consideration along the same lines.
Mr Wood: Go back and inform us of the Chief Minister under whose administration this all occurred.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Wood raised another matter again which I want to finish on. Mr Wood points out that the Alliance Government pursued a similar policy to the one which his Government is now pursuing. Let me put on the record quite clearly that the Alliance Government in that respect was wrong. I make no bones about that fact. The Alliance Government was wrong. If that had come to my attention and I had known what I know now, I would certainly have taken a different attitude. If I were the Minister responsible for these matters now, I would take a different approach. We were wrong and I suggest that the Minister acknowledge that his administration today is wrong.
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