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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 4 Hansard (27 March) . . Page.. 935 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

preparation for the reality that after 20 October there still will not be any women members of the Labor Party sitting in this place. Why? Because they are not being promoted by the Labor Party. The sitting male members of the Labor Party are being promoted, not the female members.

Mr Stanhope: Tell us how you are going to get women elected.

MR HUMPHRIES: The Hare-Clark electoral system, Mr Speaker, is a very fair system to women.

Mr Stanhope: Watch out, Harold.

MR SPEAKER: I warn you, Mr Stanhope.

MR HUMPHRIES: I am sure, Mr Speaker, that we will see plenty of other women elected in this next election, not necessarily, or course, from the Labor Party.

LAPACs

MR CORBELL: My question is to the Minister for Urban Services. Minister, members of the Manuka LAPAC recently received a letter titled "How Manuka LAPAC Members are Wasting their Time and Why I'm not Going to Waste Any More of Mine" from a disillusioned member of the committee. The letter highlighted the government's disdain for LAPACs, citing a number of examples, including the failure of the government to take account of input from LAPACs in relation to section master planning processes, and the failure of the government to properly involve the LAPACs in its much vaunted Future Canberra project, to such an extent that it has bypassed the LAPAC process. Minister, why have you chosen to marginalise the role of LAPACs in the planning process?

MR SMYTH: Mr Corbell's assertions, and that is all they are, are incorrect. This is the government that set up the LAPACs. This is the government, under the former planning minister and the now Chief Minister, Mr Humphries, that said there was a need for another level, a forum, for the community to have their say. Our support for the LAPACs is still there. How is it still there? Because we provide the support to them and we do, contrary to what Mr Corbell might assert, take into account the advice that the LAPACs provide the government through PALM.

MR SPEAKER: A supplementary question?

MR CORBELL: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Does the minister believe that the support of one full-time ASO2 for over five individual LAPACs is sufficient support?

MR SMYTH: There is a question in everything that the government considers as to the level of resources that go to it. I believe that the LAPAC process at the moment is working well. I meet with the LAPACs regularly. I attend LAPAC meetings as well on an ad hoc basis when I can. I believe there is valuable input to the community and to the LAPACs. They are gaining respect. I believe that the level of support that the government gives them is appropriate.

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