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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 8 Hansard (26 August) . . Page.. 2399 ..

MS HORODNY: Thank you. Stein said that the argument is not merely about which is the better form of tenure because the ACT already has a well-entrenched system of public leasehold but also about how the mechanics of any change to another form of land tenure would be managed. Stein pointed out a large number of factors why a change from public leasehold to private freehold would be fraught with difficulty and, therefore, recommended that the public leasehold system be retained. Stein also said that many of the reasons advanced by proponents of perpetual leasehold can in fact be delivered by the present leasehold system, provided that various improvements - - -

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, I have to press the point of order I made before. I appreciate that Ms Horodny believes we should vote on the question of whether or not we support 999-year leases as the premise on which to vote for this motion. That may be her view; but, strictly speaking, it is not relevant to debate 999-year leases in assessing a question of whether I, as Minister for Planning, have mismanaged the possible extension of the leasehold system. You can have a view entirely one way or the other without making any difference about this matter. It is entirely irrelevant.

Mr Corbell: On the point of order, Mr Speaker: Ms Horodny is quite clearly attempting to make the case as to what position she will be taking on this matter. This motion of no confidence is in relation to the Minister's handling of the system of land management in the ACT. If Ms Horodny wishes to outline in her rationale for how she will vote on this issue the background as to why she would do that and the evidence she wishes to draw on that point, then she, I believe, should be perfectly entitled to do so. I think the Government is taking no more than pedantic points of order to disrupt her flow.

MR SPEAKER: I have to uphold Mr Humphries's point of order, Ms Horodny. However, it may help your case if you move your amendment - which you have not done yet - which, as you know, calls for a censure; but it is in a more detailed manner.

MS HORODNY: Mr Speaker, I am happy to go directly to the point that I am trying to make. I will leave some of the background out if that is the wish of the Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Are you moving your amendment?

MS HORODNY: I could move my amendment now, yes.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you.

MS HORODNY: I move:

Omit all words after "Assembly", substitute "censures the Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning as a result of his management of the potential extension of tenure of leases in the ACT to 999 years and requires the Chief Minister to immediately write to the Prime Minister asking his Government not to take any action to allow the extension of leases in the ACT to 999 years until such time as the ACT Assembly requests such action.".

MR SPEAKER: It widens the scope for debate.

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