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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 4 Hansard (2 April) . . Page.. 1250 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

grief and losses. We remember it well. It was all about those damned greenies-they are to blame-the people who lock up national parks. It was all about greenies and the Labor Party administration of New South Wales. That is what Mr Tuckey was interested in. That is why he has pursued this particular inquiry against, I think, the knowledge and the wishes of the Prime Minister. I have no doubt that at no stage in the establishment of the select committee, Mr Tuckey consulted with either the Prime Minister or the Prime Minister's office.

The timing was incredible. On the Monday, or the Friday, prior to the announcement of the select committee, I received a letter from the Prime Minister designed to seek a bipartisan approach to the issue of national bushfire management. That letter sought the cooperation of the territories and states in the establishment of an inquiry under the auspices of COAG-a jointly funded and jointly managed inquiry. As I said publicly, it was a process I endorsed and in which I was happy to participate.

The issue now for the states and territories is whether we can support the Prime Minister's inquiry. I am sure the Commonwealth never intended to have two national inquiries running in tandem. It has to be said that the Tuckey inquiry-the one being run by the member for Eden-Monaro-has compromised the process that the Prime Minister intended. However, they are the interests-the cheap, crass, political interests-of the Liberal and National parties and their determination to attack the management of national parks and state forests, particularly in New South Wales.

I will conclude on this point. I find it interesting that the great proponent, in addition to Wilson Tuckey, of attacks on greens and green interests-conservationists, people interested in health and welfare who wish to support our national parks-were very much in the gun of Peter Webb, the past member for Monaro. He is the fellow who attacked the national parks; he is the fellow who attacked national parks management; he is the fellow who attacked Bob Carr; he is the fellow who based his entire campaign for the seat of Monaro-the New South Wales seat most affected by the bushfires-on bushfire management and the management of the national parks. What is he doing for a living these days? What is he doing for a crust after last Saturday week?

Is it one of the seats that the Nationals handed to the Labor Party, which cemented Bob Carr's stewardship of New South Wales? It is interesting-isn't it-that, in this attack by the Liberals and the Nationals on national parks and bushfire management, the one member of the New South Wales parliament who attacked the management of national parks, state forests and bushfires in New South Wales lost his seat. That really connected with the voters of Monaro. The attack on national park management, state forests and bushfire managers and the attack you are launching on our Emergency Services Bureau-

Mrs Dunne: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, I must again refer to standing order 58. I asked a question about the bushfire inquiry by the House of Representatives. We are now talking about the former New South Wales National Party member for Monaro.

MR SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, I regret to inform you that reference to standing order 58 will not help you. Standing order 58 refers to questions which are before the house-that is the question that the motion be agreed to, et cetera. This is questions without notice.

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