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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 10 Hansard (30 August) . . Page.. 3800 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

to keep changing to reflect what people want. I do not think we have yet met that position.

Today I attended the executive meeting of the Australian Local Government Association, representing the ACT. The members of that organisation, made up of the peak local government bodies from around Australia, were very pleased to have the ACT represented. It had been the only state or territory in Australia not represented on their board, even though they are here in the ACT.

I spoke about how we would like to be able to contribute to the ALGA's work but also learn more about how to make local government types of services work better in the ACT. I think it is very important that we try to do that. It is surprising where good ideas come from sometimes. Sometimes they come from most unexpected quarters.

Mr Quinlan: I have met Big Jack, the real estate agent from Woop Woop, the deputy mayor. I have been part of ALGA.

MR HUMPHRIES: I am in local government mode, Mr Quinlan, so I will not join you in having a go at local government. There is a need for us to rethink the way we do the things we do here. Mr Quinlan suggested that a lot of people were happy with what we do here. He referred to the reputations we have in the community.

Mr Quinlan: I said they are personal. They are individual.

MR HUMPHRIES: They are individual, yes. Obviously the job we do has some bearing on that. I do not get too many people coming up to me in the street and spitting on me, I have to confess. I am pleased about that. That may be a reflection of the fact that they are afraid to. I think people want to see government which is responsive. They like to see their members of parliament on the street, to talk to them and to have access to them. But I do not think any of those facts, even a friendliness towards members of parliament, disguises or covers up the fact that there is still significant disquiet about the nature of government in the ACT. No-one has ever bothered to put to an opinion poll in the ACT the question: "Are you happy with self-government? Would you undo self-government tomorrow if you could?"

Mr Quinlan: Yes.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Quinlan says yes. He might be right. If people are prepared to say yes, then there is a challenge for us.

Mr Quinlan: But if you said to people in a state, "Do you want to do away with the state government and give it all to the Feds?" they would all say yes.

MR HUMPHRIES: I do not agree with that. I very much doubt that. My feeling is that most people would defend their state and say their state is a great thing. People would say, "We have to have someone to stand up to those pointy heads in Canberra. We have to have a state government for Queensland. We have to have a state government for Tasmania. Tasmania matters." States and the state governments are important to many people. I am not sure we are viewed in quite the same way.

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