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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 8 Hansard (26 August) . . Page.. 2406 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

The Federal Liberal Party, the Federal coalition, has this in its Federal election policy. It is consistent with their having a majority in the House of Representatives that they can go ahead and do what they like in terms of that.

Mr Corbell: Who sought that, Minister?

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Stefaniak has the floor.

MR STEFANIAK: Thank you, Mr Speaker. He goes on to say:

That policy commits the Coalition Government to supporting the introduction of 999 year leases, but also recognises that this matter is ultimately a decision for the ACT Legislative Assembly to make.

Then he says this:

Accordingly, the legislation I propose to bring forward to the Commonwealth Parliament will amend the Seat of Government (Administration) Act 1910 to allow the ACT Legislative Assembly to make laws to grant leases longer than 99 years.

That is something which Warwick Smith, pursuant to Federal Government policy, is bringing into the Federal Parliament. It is not something which Mr Humphries is putting into place. Mr Humphries is a member of this Assembly, as are we all, not a member of the House of Representatives. He cannot put anything into place in the House of Representatives. That has nothing to do with Mr Humphries. It is a Liberal Government policy federally. It has absolutely nothing to do with Mr Humphries.

Mr Corbell: Oh, I am sorry. That letter must have come from some other government. It could not have come from your Government.

MR STEFANIAK: It is a different parliament, Simon.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Corbell, you have spoken already, lucidly or not. It is now Mr Stefaniak's chance to speak.

MR STEFANIAK: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Humphries has been quite clear on this. He is doing absolutely nothing that would infringe the rights of this Assembly. He is doing absolutely nothing in relation to this Assembly having the power to make what legislation it wishes. Nothing he has said has indicated that he, in fact, is going to be doing anything different from what he said he would do. He has talked quite clearly about the term of this Assembly. He has said that again today. Now we have this idea of a potential extension - something that might happen in the future. All that has happened is a commitment by the Federal Government to change their legislation, not the Territory's.

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