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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 12 Hansard (25 November) . . Page.. 3747 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

Changing needs of the transport hub that Canberra national airport is rapidly becoming, and the expected arrival of the very high speed train, mean we will have to look particularly at Pialligo. I foreshadowed that there would be amendments when I tabled the legislation. Seven of the eight amendments are, indeed, in regard to Pialligo, and the very special nature of the Pialligo leases. Pialligo lessees as rural lessees also have a commercial nature to their properties, so the payout formula for them will be slightly different. The first seven of the Government's amendments outline how that will be achieved. The eighth is of course the appeal rights to the AAT, for those who would seek to question the Minister's decision should he or she seek to vary their LMA.

In regard to Mr Kaine's comments and his words on behalf of the ACT Rural Sustainable Land Group: He said that they had attempted to brief me. Mr Kaine, let me put on the record that I have had several meetings with this group - two small meetings in my office; a major round table in the Cabinet room. Mr Moore attended on behalf of one of his constituents. At that meeting were Mr Hawkins, who is the head of PALM and Mr Thompson who is the head of my department, plus the Government's legal adviser.

Mr Wood: I don't want to listen to you.

MR SMYTH: Thank you. Mr Wood is a long-term supporter of all those rural lessees who inhabit the lower half of our electorate and I would welcome Mr Wood's attendance at this very important occasion. This group of lessees also contacted me and we met privately in my office one Saturday. They showed me that they had some initial legal advice that questioned some of what the Government was doing. I said, "Go away and get confirmation of that and provide me with your further advice".

Mr Speaker, I have yet to receive that further advice. I believe Mr Corbell said it was, sort of, shown to him. Mr Kaine indicated that he has not seen it. I have asked my staff. They tell me that though we have asked for that advice to be provided, to show where the Government was wrong, that group has chosen not to provide that advice to me in writing.

It is very difficult for anybody to react to something they have not seen. If the sustainable land users were genuine in their concerns and truly believed that what the Government was doing was wrong, then surely they would have shown, or provided the Opposition, the Greens, Mr Kaine, or me, with that advice. But it would appear that not a single MLA has that advice or has seen the full detail of that advice. It is very hard to respond in those conditions, Mr Speaker. I have had several meetings, the round table, the private meeting. They have had a number of meetings with my officials as well as correspondence from my office. I have asked for that advice and I have yet to receive it. Mr Speaker, it makes it very hard to respond.

Indeed, Mr Corbell raised these concerns with me. I provided him with the Government Solicitor's advice. I think we heard Mr Corbell say that he accepted the advice that the Government had been provided with. Ms Tucker raised that same concern and said it was the responsibility of the Government to make sure that they had done their

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