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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (15 May) . . Page.. 1503 ..

MR KAINE (continuing):

In regard to the environmental representatives on the earlier committee to which Ms Horodny referred, I understand that she was probably referring to the old Transport Reform Advisory Committee. That committee dealt with strategic planning issues relating to passenger transport. It completed its report to the Government and has been disbanded. There is no relationship between what that group did and what the new group is convened to do. In connection with youth and the ageing, to whom Ms Horodny referred, the Transport Reform Advisory Group does include representatives from both the community and persons with disabilities because we believe that they will have something to say about the kinds of services that are provided. As I have already indicated, the group is able to invite representatives from other special interest groups.

Finally, Mr Speaker, the Government announced in the budget the development of an integrated land transport strategy. All stakeholders will be involved in the process, and initial discussions have already been arranged for this Saturday with the sustainable transport group of the Conservation Council. This is, I believe, a more appropriate body for input from the Conservation Council on the kinds of issues they would want to discuss than is the advisory group, which essentially exists for and focuses on operational issues.

MR STEFANIAK: Mr Speaker, Ms Horodny asked me a question in relation to block 515, which is on the corner of Sutton Road and Pialligo Avenue. That is currently used by an ACT resident to run horses on a week-by-week agistment basis. I understand that the Fairbairn Park Control Council may have to make application - using due process, of course - to lease that parcel in relation to proposed works that might be undertaken at the whole complex for beautification and noise abatement.

MS McRAE: Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation under standing order 46.

MR SPEAKER: Proceed.

MS McRAE: During the course of question time I was misrepresented by the Chief Minister, who continued the misrepresentation that was perpetrated in the Canberra Times, in particular in the headline to the article, which did accurately quote what I said as recorded in Hansard, and I refer people back to Hansard. In Hansard it will be seen that at no point did I talk about the wealth of Canberra. The context of my debate was to talk about the effect of the regulation of shopping hours on the poor in Canberra and on the poor who happen to live in Queanbeyan, and I wanted to point out that it had a bad effect on the people of Canberra as well as on people who choose to live in Queanbeyan because it is a cheaper place in which to live, who are poor, who have to travel to Canberra, and who were further disadvantaged by the regulation of shopping hours.

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