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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 11 Hansard (8 December) . . Page.. 3249 ..

MS CARNELL (continuing):

The size of the losses are sufficient to significantly affect the future standard of living of ACT residents.

I have to say, Mr Speaker, that I am not willing to accept that.

MS TUCKER (4.59): Well, that was an interesting performance, actually. For me, that takes the whole debate on ACTEW and puts it into just one small speech in which the Chief Minister quotes this document from the Auditor-General, with great flair, as usual. She throws it down and says, "Yes, this is it. This is the statement". So I looked to see, quickly, because I have only just got it, how much work the Auditor-General has done on looking at the other implications of the sale of this asset. There is a paragraph, one paragraph, headed "Other Considerations". That is the problem with how this debate has been run in this Assembly, Mr Speaker.

The "Other Considerations" actually matter a lot to the ACT community. The "Other Considerations" are what people have been asking this Assembly to have an opportunity to look at. The reason why I proposed that there be a select committee to look at the issues around the sale of ACTEW and what the long-term implications are for the ACT is that people do not know and people are concerned about it, and with just cause. Mrs Carnell just said, again, that we are going to see, possibly, the quality of life of the people of the ACT negatively affected if we do not sell ACTEW. The very concern that is coming from people in the community and members of this Assembly is that the quality of life of the people of the ACT may indeed be negatively affected if we do sell ACTEW. There are two different points of view on this.

Mr Humphries: That is not what the Auditor-General says.

MS TUCKER: And what has been - - -

Debate interrupted.

ADJOURNMENT

MR SPEAKER: Order! It being 5.00 pm, I propose the question:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

Mr Humphries: I require the question to be put forthwith without debate.

Question resolved in the negative.

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