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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 9 Hansard (21 August) . . Page.. 2690 ..

MR WOOD: If the occasion arises. It is a massive event. Indeed, it is almost overwhelming, and significant leaders are to be there. I understand that Tony Blair is going to be there. Colin Powell is going to be there, it seems, and a host of national leaders. I am not anticipating a major role.

Mr Humphries: You need two people there, Bill, and I am available. I will go.

Mr Smyth: Take your camera.

MR WOOD: No. I understand I might not come back with it if I take one. I have just been briefed about these things. However, quite simply the background is one that you would understand. The quality of life in the ACT is terrific. We have a great reputation, but the world changes, and we need to make sure that we keep up with those changes. We need to act now to protect and enhance the qualities that we value, whether they are the wellbeing of our citizens, the capacity of our economy to support the community, or the breadth and health of the natural environment in our role as the national capital.

However, there is a challenge there for us. It is for all governments to find and implement even better approaches to the way we do things. The concept of sustainability is the focus of the summit, which intends to provide an integrated approach under that heading to meeting our social, economic and environmental goals. I think we have an important role, in this town, in the way that things develop. I do not anticipate playing a major role. It is likely that I will be delivering a speech to one segment of the summit about participation and community.

This is certainly the most significant conference since Rio 10 years ago. The people who will be there and the range of discussions are truly impressive. We have much to learn, but we have something to offer, and I will come back and report to this Assembly on that summit.

MS GALLAGHER: Minister, do you expect the Australian government's position refusing to ratify the Kyoto protocol to be discussed at the summit?

MR WOOD: I certainly expect it to be. Therein are some problems for me in the sense that I am part of an Australian delegation, I am reading all the protocols, and I have signed off on certain of them, and I would hope to take a fierce view on signing up to Kyoto. However, there are going to be some inhibitions and strong attempts to achieve a one-delegation view of things, so there will be some difficulties with that. I certainly hope that the Commonwealth finds itself under considerable pressure, and not the least from the Pacific nations, on Kyoto, and that we will sign on to it. I am optimistic that the pressures of the summit will be an added inducement to the Commonwealth to sign up to those protocols.

Mr Stanhope: I ask that further questions be placed on the notice paper.

Supreme Court judgment against ACT government

MR HUMPHRIES (Leader of the Opposition): I seek leave to make a statement on the subject of the Brown matter in the Supreme Court.

Leave granted.

MR HUMPHRIES: I am grateful to Mr Stanhope for tabling today the correspondence which dealt with the exchange between myself and him in the last few days before the 2001 election. Some of t

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