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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (20 February) . . Page.. 287 ..

MR WHITECROSS (continuing):

You have to require us to". Mr Speaker, that is how unresponsive they are to consultation. While they get up here and talk and talk about community consultation and about listening, their actions illustrate that listening is not something they are very good at. They know what the views have been on this issue and, indeed, on the issue we debated yesterday about revaluations for rates purposes; yet they will not act until they are forced to act.

Mr Speaker, the suggestion was made by Mr Osborne that this was an awful precedent to be setting, to be passing a motion like this. In many ways, it is an awful precedent to be setting, but it is not as awful as the precedent that was set by Mrs Carnell and Mr De Domenico when they chose to sack Ms Rees from the board of the Interim Kingston Foreshore Development Authority for criticising the ACT strategic plan, which is in fact what they did. The letter, drafted in Mrs Carnell's office and signed by Mr De Domenico, makes it clear that her comments reported in the Canberra Times on 8 December were just the kind of thing that they were not going to put up with anymore.

What were these comments? These were comments consistent with the comments of a great many people in Canberra, and the majority of people in this place, that Mrs Carnell's strategic plan just did not add up; that it just was not up to scratch; that it was not an acceptable document. That was fair comment, but it led to Ms Rees being sacked from the board. Mr Speaker, that is the awful precedent that we are talking about here. That is the awful precedent that we are railing against in this place.

Mr Humphries: You wish it was the precedent, but it is not.

MR WHITECROSS: It is the precedent.

Mr Humphries: It will come back to haunt you, Andrew.

Mrs Carnell: The precedent is that the Assembly can direct the Government on appointments.

Mr Humphries: You are so desperate for a win that you will sabotage the future of your own party.

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Speaker, are you going to deal with your colleagues or are you scared of them just like everyone else is?

MR SPEAKER: I am listening to you.

MR WHITECROSS: I would not want you to be subjected to threats and intimidation from Government members.

Ms McRae: You are the only one who can listen to him, Mr Speaker; we cannot hear him.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

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