Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 11 Hansard (29 November) . . Page.. 3462 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

Mr Smyth, when he was talking before, said he felt that people at the community meeting who were interested in some residential development were not allowed to be heard. That is not correct. There was obviously a disagreement between a couple of people and a fight over the microphone, but Mr Smyth was not at that meeting. A number of people at that meeting were heard to say, "We are not totally opposed to the concept of some residential development around the brickworks."

Mr Moore: Kerrie, were you at that meeting?

MS TUCKER: Yes. Mr Moore interjects and asks me was I at the meeting. I explained in my previous speech that I was, but maybe Mr Moore was not here. That is why I can speak with authority.

Mr Moore: Of course I was.

MS TUCKER: Well, I said it. I did not know why you were asking me when I already said it. So Mr Moore said he was here.

Mr Moore: I was clarifying which meeting was which, that's all.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: The minister will come to order. You will address your remarks to the chair, Ms Tucker.

MS TUCKER: Having clarified that I was at the meeting and that I am speaking from that experience, I know that a number of people spoke and were heard to say that the possibility of residential development could be interesting. But what many people said, including some of those people who said some residential development might be acceptable, was: "We don't want to be presented with three proposals like this which have such a lot of residential development which we haven't had a say in." What a lot of people at that meeting were asking for, what the majority by far were asking for, and what the majority of people I have spoken to, both before that and since, are asking for, is that they be respected and offered the opportunity to look at the brickworks site and then come up with different proposals which may, indeed, include some residential development.

A reasonable approach has been taken by many of the people who have been talking about these issues. Certainly, there were some extremists on both sides, but on the whole a very reasonable approach has been taken. For that reason I believe there is goodwill in the Yarralumla community if they are given a chance to be heard and if they feel they are respected.

Mr Osborne has asked to look at my speech so that he is across some of the things that have happened that have caused the community to lose faith in the process. I will summarise them unless he has had an opportunity to read it. Basically, as we know, the community went with good faith into a process of consultation, they thought, and then the next day read in the Canberra Times that the Chief Minister had announced that Floriade would go there and, basically, that if the community goes ballistic, which they probably will, then never mind. Now, how is that for respecting the community, Mr Osborne?

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .