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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 08 Hansard (Tuesday, 3 August 2004) . . Page.. 3288 ..

MR CORNWELL (10.34): I seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave granted.

MR CORNWELL: I would like to join with you in welcoming the mace. It is some 15 years since this place came into existence. We alone among Australian parliaments did not have a mace up until this time. In fact, I think there was only one other Pacific country—Tonga—that did not have a mace. It received one some 12 months ago. I could stand corrected there. I think it is a significant development for the ACT Assembly. I take your point, sir, about the trappings. Nevertheless, I think it is important that the traditions of parliamentary democracy be observed by the presence of the mace. I think it is another step in the maturity of this Assembly and I certainly welcome it.

MR STEFANIAK: I seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave granted.

MR STEFANIAK: As someone who was Deputy Speaker in the first Assembly and Acting Speaker for a while I too join with you and my colleague Mr Cornwell, who was the Speaker for many years, in welcoming this mace. It is timely; it is a great symbol of parliamentary democracy. It is very appropriate; it has been tastefully done, to represent the Australian Capital Territory and I too congratulate the craftsman who did it.

Whilst tradition is important I do agree with you, Mr Speaker, having gone through some suggestions in the first Assembly that we might go overboard with trappings such as wigs and gowns, that it is important that we recognise tradition but do so in a sensible and forward-looking way. I think this mace is a perfect example of recognising the great tradition of parliamentary democracy, the forward-looking nature of this Assembly and also the youth of this particular Assembly.

Planning and Environment—Standing Committee

Report 32

MS DUNDAS (10.36): I present the following report:

Planning and Environment—Standing Committee—Report 32—Draft Variation to the Territory Plan No. 235—Conder Block 2 Section 228 (Conder Group Centre)—Proposed supermarket site, dated 23 July 2004, together with a copy of the extracts of the relevant minutes of proceedings.

I move:

That the report be noted.

This report was tabled out of session. It refers to the government’s intention to make a direct grant of land to Aldi to build a supermarket in the Conder shopping centre. The committee has reviewed the draft variation to the territory plan and has agreed that the territory plan should proceed. But we again make comment in relation to how territory plan variations are put forward and information provided therein, especially in relation to

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