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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 10 Hansard (23 September) . . Page.. 3513 ..

Mr Stanhope: By you.

MRS DUNNE: Not by Mr Smyth-by my former boss.

Mr Stanhope: On your advice.

MRS DUNNE: As I said on that day, one of the most important things you can learn in life, and in politics, is to admit it, when you have made a mistake. Mr Corbell will never admit it, when he has made a mistake, and it is about time he was brought to book.

I do not care that we made a mistake. I would care if this opposition didn't care that it made a mistake. I would care if we didn't do anything about rectifying a mistake. I care that this government has not done anything about rectifying the mistake. This parliament voted by a majority for a simple negotiation to take place. Since that time almost a month has passed, and this minister has done nothing.

This is not the first occasion this has happened. In the life of this Assembly, on two previous occasions motions were passed in this place asking this minister to carry out particular courses of action in relation to Animals Afloat-to carry out a draft variation to the Territory Plan. "No", said this minister. He would not do it.

In relation to the pedestrian precinct in Gungahlin, he was asked to do a specific thing. In the debate, he stood in this place and said, "I don't care what you tell me to do-I will not do it."This is unsupportable arrogance from a minister who needs to be brought to book. It flies in the face of the will of this Assembly and, through it, the will of the people of Belconnen and the people of the ACT.

It is time, Mr Speaker and members, this minister was made to realise what his responsibilities are. They are many, and they are great. He has a lot of things to do. He must remember that he is not here serving his own ego. He is here serving the people of Belconnen. He is here serving the people of the ACT. His arrogance in refusing to do as this Assembly asked him to do, and his arrogance in the answering of the question today, shows that he has no interest in serving the people of the ACT. He should surely be censured.

MR CORBELL (Minister for Health and Minister for Planning) (3.04): Mr Speaker, the motion that the opposition has moved today is one of the weakest censure motions I have ever heard. It is a censure motion, Mr Speaker, which asks me to implement something which was unimplementable and to justify action that was unjustifiable. Mr Speaker, for both of those reasons I did not accept the resolution of the Assembly.

I am accountable to the people of Canberra, and I am happy to go to the next election and say to the people of Belconnen, Tuggeranong, Gungahlin or anywhere else in this city, "This is what I have done. Judge me on it."That is the approach of this government. We will be held accountable for the steps we take. I am responsible for ensuring that there is a reliable source of land, and for the effective and good administration of land, in this territory.

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