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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 7 Hansard (30 June) . . Page.. 1899 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

The Minister has not answered those questions. He needs to explain to this place why he has not made the determination that the premises are declared to be available for lease. Why has he not made the determination that the land is not required for any national land purpose? Why has he refused to determine a level of rent and make a reappraisal of rent, and why has he refused to determine other terms and conditions as he is required to under the lease? What we are saying today is that he should do that, and we urge him to do that. He should do the decent thing for the dragway. It is a matter of natural justice. The dragway has rights and they just cannot be taken away because the ACT Government refuses to live up to its obligations under the lease. It is that simple. The Labor Opposition will not be able to support Mr Smyth's amendment.

MR RUGENDYKE (10.21): I have just been approached by Mr Smyth who tells me that he is unable to argue the case as the matter is sub judice. These matters that are being discussed are part of the court proceedings. If that is the case, I think it is appropriate to support Mr Smyth's amendment.

MR QUINLAN (10.22): I will rely on Mr Smyth to pick me up on matters that might be sub judice. No doubt Mr Moore will be happy to help him. He seems to be pretty good on this stuff. There seem to be only a couple of points here really. It seems a prime example of poor management and the creation of a problem that should not exist. Is it incompetence or is it deviousness? It is clear that there is an issue. An issue has been festering. It is clear that the issue needed fixing. It is clear that the issue needed fixing by the Minister, and it is clear that the issue needed fixing by the Minister promptly to ensure the future of the club. So why has it festered? It can only have done so because the Minister has not had the wit or has not had the inclination to get off his tail and sort it out. The alternative conclusion is that there has been a conscious and quite devious decision to wait out the dragway people, hoping that they simply wither on the vine.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Mr Quinlan, I apologise for interrupting. There seem to be some aspects of the matter before us, the amendment and also the motion from Mr Corbell, that may be sub judice. I just warn members to be careful in their comments in respect of this matter.

MR QUINLAN: I am not talking about matters before the court. I am talking about why the bleeding hell they have not fixed it before this.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: I understand that but I am advised that I needed to inform the house.

MR QUINLAN: Okay. I would be very happy to think that the court might take note of how it managed to get as far as the court, given the nature of the matter. Anyway, as I was saying, there is an alternative. Either the Minister has been incompetent by not sorting something out that really needed to be sorted out, or there has been a conscious waiting out of the dragway people, hoping that they would simply just go away. Anyway, Minister, you can be assured that I do not accuse you of deviousness, not all on your own.

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