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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 9 Hansard (7 September) . . Page.. 3045 ..

MR STANHOPE: I do not agree with the approach that Ms Tucker takes to these sorts of issues-that it is best, basically, to retreat into splendid isolationism. It is classic head in the sand stuff.

Mr Kaine: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. I do not recall Ms Tucker saying anything about isolation or isolating China. That was not the gist of what she had to say. I think the Leader of the Opposition has an obligation to properly acknowledge what Ms Tucker said.

MR SPEAKER: It has been a very free-ranging debate, which I welcome. I am sure all members do. There is no point of order.

(Extension of time granted.)

MR STANHOPE: I will summarise and conclude, Mr Speaker. Our position is that we are quite appalled by the way in which the ACT government has handled this issue. We think it has been incredibly badly handled. There has been no attempt to engage us or to engage the Canberra community. I think, as a result, that the arrangement will get off to a very unfortunate start. It is a real pity that in what we intend to be a special relationship there will be bitterness and recrimination from the outset because there was no real attempt to weld the people of Canberra to the idea.

I think to some extent that as a result of this experience the notion of sister city relationships has been quite seriously demeaned. The currency has been devalued quite seriously as a result of the way in which this business has been handled. I do not quite know how we will regenerate it. I think the currency of sister city relationships is badly devalued by this. We certainly do need to find another way of dealing with these issues.

Having said that, the deal is done. The Chief Minister signed off on this in March. In one of the letters that she provided to me she indicated that arrangements were made for the Mayor of Beijing to arrive here next week to formalise the arrangement. To some extent, whilst I think the process was appalling, I believe it was open to the Chief Minister, acting as the government, to do what she has done even though I do not accept it. I reject that process absolutely.

I will get the last couple of points on the record. On that point of rolling it back, the Mayor in Beijing is not sitting by the phone waiting for a call saying, "Come to Canberra. We have agreed to go ahead with the sister city relationship." He was told in March that we were proceeding with this. I reject that process. I think it is appalling, Chief Minister, that it was done. He is not sitting by his phone. He has arrived and he is coming to Canberra next Tuesday. He is coming here to sign the arrangement. To some extent I think it would simply be unacceptable for this Assembly to overturn a process that the government has put in train.

I have to say something concerning the human rights issues.

Mr Osborne: Oh, yes, this will be good.

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