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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 4688 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

Mr Speaker, the motion is particularly interesting, considering that the Government has invited expressions of interest. I just want to make very clear my interpretation of the motion, because I think the Government has a role to play in trying to determine a series of alternatives it might propose for a site. The first part of the motion requires the Government to "withdraw any action aimed at the sale or disposal of the Moore Street Health Building". The action of calling for expressions of interest may well be interpreted by some as being aimed at selling the building. From my understanding, it would be a fair interpretation that calling for expressions of interest is aimed at finding a series of possible options as to what to do with the building.

Most importantly, I also support the second part of the motion, which states:

the health services at the Moore Street Health Building be maintained in both type and extent of service until otherwise approved of by the Assembly in session.

I do not have a problem with that, but my interpretation would be that this does not mean you have to withdraw the expressions of interest that are currently there; you just cannot use them in any way to set up and move towards a sale of the building until approved by the Assembly.

I support the motion, but I do think it is very important that I make it clear that I am supporting it to that extent. From my perspective, it does not stop the Government from continuing with that expressions of interest process, but it does still make very clear that it ought not proceed beyond that. I think it is important that, with such an important community asset, the Chief Minister says to the Assembly, "We have these options, and this is what our proposal is". It may well be that when those options are considered we may all look at those options and say, "Why did we not think of one of the options that have come out of the expressions of interest? We all think it is a great idea. Yes, it ought to proceed". It may well be that we look at all the options and say, "These are terrible, and nothing else should happen". It may well be that the options kick off an entirely different idea of what is in the best interests of the community as a whole. That is how we should make these decisions.

Mr Speaker, I will be very pleased to support Mr Berry's motion. I think it is important to protect community assets. It is an important part of the responsibility of this Assembly. But it does have that proviso about the way I interpret the particular motion. That is the sense in which I support it.

Debate interrupted.

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