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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (9 April) . . Page.. 804 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

Like Mr Humphries, I cannot remember any time when the then ACT Labor Government got stuck into its Federal counterpart. I do think that is necessary. I think State and Territory governments of all persuasions should regularly get stuck into the Federal Parliament when they need to.

Turning to the points raised so far in this debate, Mrs Littlewood is quite correct in stating that the Federal Parliament does have a paternalistic approach to the Territory. What is the point of giving the Territory self-government and making us responsible for our affairs if that paternalistic approach continues? The paternalistic approach is exemplified by such things as the Andrews Bill. I have consistently voted against Mr Moore's euthanasia Bills and will continue to do so. However, that is a matter for the Territory, not for the Federal Parliament to dictate to the Territory. Their approach is completely inconsistent with giving the Territory an Assembly and the power and ability to look after matters that relate to it.

There are many good things the current Prime Minister and Government are doing for Australia. It is a difficult job, and they did inherit a very bad situation from the previous Government.

Mr Berry: Rubbish!

MR STEFANIAK: It is not rubbish, Mr Berry. However, Mrs Littlewood is quite right in highlighting here the failure of Mr Howard to use the Lodge as his official residence. It is most important that he does that because that in itself, I think, affects confidence in Canberra and in the Territory. The Lodge goes with the job. In many jobs, you move with the job and your family moves with you. Those things just happen. I think it is very important for this Prime Minister to have a rethink about where he lives, because it is important that he does come and live in Canberra rather than residing in Sydney. Mrs Littlewood was quite correct in putting that in her matter of public importance.

I support Mrs Littlewood's matter of public importance. There are many issues of crucial importance to future directions for Canberra and the ACT. There are many matters of concern we have constantly with the Federal Government, no matter of what political persuasion it is. A number of members here have been Ministers, have gone to ministerial meetings, and on a regular basis have come up with various problems in relation to the Federal Government and the way it deals with this Territory.

As Mr Humphries has said, it is time the Federal Parliament had a serious change of mind and readjusted its attitude, woke up to itself, in relation to the ACT. We are a self-governing Territory. That legislation in 1988, when it was introduced in the Federal Parliament, conferred self-government on the ACT. The actions of successive Federal governments in many areas have not lived up to the spirit of that legislation, and I think it is about time that a number of members in the Federal Government stopped Canberra bashing, looked at the reality and acted in a much more responsible way. When that occurs, I think we will all be better off, and that is something I hope will happen with the passage of time. It is something we constantly need to keep pushing with the Federal Parliament, with our counterparts there of all political persuasions. If we do not do it, no-one else is going to.

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