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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 14 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 4482 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

I think this is a very important check on ensuring that the advice that the authority and the council give on these types of applications is publicly available so that effective scrutiny can be applied to the minister's decision.

MS TUCKER (9.07): I will be supporting this reluctantly. It is appropriate in that it provides the Assembly with the relevant information on which the minister's decision to call in was based. This will make it clear when the minister's decision is contrary to the position of the Planning and Land Council.

I support the amendment because it improves slightly upon the current situation with the call-in powers. However, as I said, I do so reluctantly. Ideally, as I said, I would still prefer that the call-in powers did not exist, as they have the potential to be used for political rather than good planning reasons.

In fact, it is more likely than not that the call-in powers are used only when there is some political advantage to using them. Even when that is not the case, the public perception will remain that the minister is circumventing proper process.

The logjams that Mrs Dunne talked about need to be understood, and they can be avoided. With regard to The Space, I would be delighted if someone wanted to sit down and explain what that logjam was. My understanding of it is that it could have been avoided.

MS DUNDAS (9.08): While I have already put on the record my opposition to the call-in powers, I do support this amendment, because, if we are to have call-in powers, then it is important that they are as open and as accountable as they can be, and this amendment goes some way towards that.

But, of course, the opposition to the call-in powers remains, and we will monitor closely how they are used and whether or not they are being used for the exercise of political power or political interference.

Amendment agreed to.

Amendment 1.90, as amended, agreed to.

Amendment 1.91 agreed to.

Amendment 1.92.

MR CORBELL (Minister for Education, Youth and Family Services, Minister for Planning and Minister for Industrial Relations) (9.09): Mr Speaker, I move amendment No 4 circulated in my name [see schedule 4 at page 4509].

Amendment agreed to.

Amendment 1.92, as amended, agreed to.

Amendments 1.93 to 1.108, by leave, taken together and agreed to.

Amendment 1.109.

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