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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 3 Hansard (26 May) . . Page.. 595 ..

MR BERRY: Mr Humphries interjects. I am always delighted by Mr Humphries's erudite interjections. He says that they have made a contribution. It has been reported to us by PALM that they have made a contribution. They have made no contribution to the elected members of this Assembly - that is the point that I make - and they have been given no opportunity to do so.

Mr Humphries: So you want two consultation processes, do you?

MR BERRY: Mr Humphries, by his interjection, seeks to ignore the very clear need to understand the separation of powers which goes with this issue. Just because the Executive reaches an agreement with warring parties does not mean that everybody else has to. The point I make here is that there are people in the community who may be opposed to this proposal and who might wish to make a contribution, and they have had the right to address their elected members taken away from them. That is the point that I wish to make to Mr Humphries.

It is extremely clear that some sort of urgency is preferred by some members of my committee and by the Government. I must say that no evidence that came to me in my role on the committee suggested that any urgency was necessary. No evidence at all was submitted. Indeed, were this matter to go to a public meeting of the Assembly committee it would very likely not slow the process down and would give the community a valuable opportunity to have some input. It may well be that if the opportunity were to be presented to the community it would be ignored.

Mr Smyth: There has been a public consultation period. Do you want the dates?

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MR BERRY: Mr Smyth interjects and talks about the planning consultation period. He does not seem to understand the necessity to give ordinary members of the community access to their elected members either. If you cannot say something sensible, I suggest that you say nothing. Mr Speaker, the opportunity for - - -

Mr Smyth: You should apply the rule to yourself and sit down, because this is just tripe.

MR BERRY: Once Mr Smyth has been here long enough he will get to understand the importance of public access to elected members. Mr Kaine, I am sure, will be able to give it to you chapter and verse because he is an expert on the matter. Have a talk to Mr Kaine. I am sure he can give you a lecture on the matter. He has been around long enough to understand it fully and his wise counsel, I am sure, would be of value to you.

Mr Speaker, this is clearly an issue where an important matter of public consultation has been avoided. I think it would have been better for the public to have been given the opportunity. The Executive make it clear across the chamber that they do not think it is important. I note that the matter has been around for some years. Notwithstanding that, it is the first time that it has come to a position where it would have been available to a committee of this Assembly to properly assess the situation in order that members of the community could make a contribution.

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