Page 4540 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 14 December 1993
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They do not even go out and try to persuade the Federal authorities to a particular view. They just accept the fact that the Commonwealth sits over on the other side of the lake and the National Capital Planning Authority sits over on the other side of the lake and they put up a log jam; and our Minister and our Government say, "That is okay. We will just wait". My question is, "For what?".
Mr Wood: For the consultation that is presently going on. That is what for. Do you want to cut that in half?
MR KAINE: We have had your and your Government's public consultation running out of our ears. It is running out in bucketfuls, and you still do not know what you want to do. You still have no idea what you want to use that site for. You have had plenty of advice. Fourteen months ago you had plenty of advice. You had a great deal of advice from a lot of people who took time out of their lives to accept the invitation to sit down, to look at the issues and to come to some conclusions, and 14 months later what have you done about it? It is in your bottom drawer, I will guarantee. You probably even forgot that you ever saw that document. Well, I did not forget, Minister. There it is and I will give you a copy of it, if you like, so that you can refresh your memory.
I would like to see something happening over there and I think that the community is simply getting impatient. They see the buildings there and they are falling into disrepair. They are not being used for anything. A very small part of the buildings is being used. That site has enormous potential. If it is the wish of the Commonwealth to put the Museum of Australia on the site, if it is such a significant site and that is a significant use, then let us do it. Why talk about it from now till the end of the century before we do anything? It just is not good enough. The people in this Government are accountable to this electorate; these are the people that the community is looking to for some leadership and some decision making. Stop sitting on your hands and make a decision of some kind. If your decision is, "We are not going to touch it for another 35 years", then say that and people will stop worrying about it.
Mr Wood: What would you like to do there?
MR KAINE: I will give you my advice. You have not asked me to sit down and tell you what I think, either. It is another example of the Government failing to act.
Mr Berry: Tell us. Come on, tell us.
MR KAINE: I will sit down with the Minister and I will tell him.
Mr Berry: No, no.
Mr Connolly: You have 20 seconds to go.
MR KAINE: I know that he will not do anything about it, and neither will you in your Cabinet, nor in your caucus. You do not seem to think that community consultation is of any importance. You think that the outcome does not matter.
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