Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 8 Hansard (26 August) . . Page.. 2419 ..

Ms McRae: And the Government?

MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, that is right; both of them. It needs both of them, because if the Territory Assembly facilitates the issuing of longer leases it is then up to the Territory Government, not to the Territory Assembly, to issue those leases. That is why it mentions both of those. Clearly, the Territory Assembly is mentioned because it was foreshadowed by the Federal Government - I might say, on the basis of the views expressed by the ACT Division of the Liberal Party - that it should be the ACT electorate, through its elected representatives in the ACT Assembly, that makes the decision on this matter.

There is the consistency. There is the openness about this. Where have we gone - and I address this question particularly to the Greens - behind the backs of the Assembly at any stage? At every juncture when asked we have tabled the correspondence we have had with the Federal Government. I have said publicly what it is that we were doing with the Federal Government in our discussions with them. I had a meeting with Warwick Smith on 27 June. I freely described to a particular meeting I was at, with members of the media sitting in the front row, what it was I discussed with the Federal Government on 27 June. There has never been the least secrecy or deceptiveness in that approach - not the least. I would ask the Greens to consider seriously where the basis is for saying that we have acted behind the backs of the Assembly in this matter. Where in any way have we attempted to disguise or hide our intentions? Absolutely nowhere.

I accept that the Greens and the Labor Party strongly disagree with the proposal to create 999-year leases. I realise that. I know that Mr Moore is also opposed to that. I assume that Mr Osborne is as well, although I have not actually asked him.

Mr Moore: Yes, he is.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Moore says that he is. I assume that on these matters Mr Moore has some authority to speak. I assume that that is the case. That is why the Government has made a commitment, and it intends to stand by it - there is no evidence that we will not stand by it - that we will not take forward any proposal to create those 999-year leases in the life of this Assembly. But we have the right to hold the view that they should be 999-year leases. Are we to be censured or, worse still, am I to be removed from office on the basis of my stated belief that we ought to have those longer leases? Will it be an issue at the next election? The Greens have been arguing that they disagree with those things and therefore we should be moved against for that.

If the view is that we should be dealt with because of our stated belief, then we are in a very serious pass in this Assembly. We are saying that a member's statement of a view that other members disagree with is enough to sanction that member in some way. I do not think members have reached that point. The argument about whether 999-year leases are good things or bad things is irrelevant to this debate. The question is what we have done to take that forward in circumstances which hid our views or deceived the Assembly, and there is no basis for saying that we did that.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .