Page 3425 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 25 November 1992
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MR STEVENSON: Mr Kaine says something about, "That is rhetoric, and you know it". What I know absolutely clearly is that people in Canberra want the site kept for community health services. If you are not sure of it, ask the question. Going around with your head in the clouds or in the ground, thinking that you understand what people in Canberra want, is an absolute nonsense.
Mr Kaine: You think you know.
MR STEVENSON: The way to find out is by asking them.
Mr Kaine: What makes you so good?
MR STEVENSON: Mr Kaine says that I think I know, and what makes me so good. It is not that I am so good; it is simply that I ask. Any members here can get the same responses if they but ask. When I see the questions, when I see the polling results, when I see the checks by the Australian Bureau of Statistics validating the studies, as ours have been validated, then and only then will I believe that people here can speak for Canberrans as an electorate. This idea that politicians know better is like running a dictatorship. They do not. How on earth can we expect the community to abide by decisions of this Assembly when we do not abide by the overwhelming response of people in Canberra?
I shall move an amendment to the motion. I was happy enough to vote for the motion because I do not doubt that most people in Canberra would. Mr Kaine mentioned that there is a community consultation process going on. If it is anything like the consultation process of the last three years, I think we know what it will be like. How do we know exactly what type of health services we should have? How does the Labor Party know? How does the Liberal Party know? My amendment solves the problem. I therefore move:
Omit all words after "block 5", substitute "for community health services".
The amended motion would read:
That this Assembly directs the Government to retain the use of Acton Peninsula site, namely sections 55 and 33, block 5, for community health services.
That takes away all the concern about what community health services will be on the site, and we could well agree with that, and it needs a direction.
MRS CARNELL (11.58): It is hard to believe that Mr Moore believes some of the things he said. By including section 33, block 5, as I think Mr Kaine has already said, Mr Moore has included in his motion areas of land which comprise not just Acton Peninsula but also much of West Basin, and he has declared that all of this land should be set aside for health facilities. We already know that much of this land has never been used for health facilities. Indeed, much of West Basin is currently used as a tourist-cum-picnic park. Surely Mr Moore is not proposing that this current usage should make way for health facilities.
I am prepared to support the motion only to the extent of recognising that there is a place for some health facilities on Acton Peninsula, but the way Mr Moore's motion has been put does not suggest only some facilities on some of Acton Peninsula. It is also not the case that Acton Peninsula should be used
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