Page 1337 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 5 April 2005
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school grounds help contribute to the urban open space network in the ACT and that proper regard has to be had for them in any future use of those school grounds.
That is the government’s record on urban open space. That is the government’s commitment to maintaining our open space network. In contrast, the history and record of the Liberal Party is a dismal one indeed.
MR SESELJA: Minister, when will the promised referendum to preserve urban open space occur?
MR CORBELL: The government is progressing our commitment through the variation to the territory plan that is currently in the public discussion phase. That draft variation outlines additional protections. It includes the protection of areas that contribute informally to the urban open space network in the ACT as well as properly recognising those areas of formal urban open space.
That has been the government’s approach. It is one that we think is delivering our commitment, and we will be continuing with that. I look forward to the Liberal Party’s support for moves to give greater protection to and recognition of the contribution urban open space makes to the amenity of Canberra’s suburbs and public places.
I trust that Mr Seselja will be able to convince his colleagues of that, those who wanted to sell off the parks, the ovals and the swimming pools. You have got a big job in front of you, Mr Seselja, to convince Mr Smyth and Mr Stefaniak because, when they were ministers, they were the sponsors of projects designed to sell off urban open space for residential development.
I still have the freedom of information material in my office, if Mr Smyth wants to see it. It is a very large wad of paper. It talks about all sorts of things, including identifying parks as “having 360-degree views” or “nice, level site”—all these sorts of things. Mr Smyth, I know, does not like this, but the fact is that this work occurred during the term of the previous government. It was exposed by the Labor opposition and it is one of the reasons now that you sit on that side of this place.
Crime—drink spiking
MR PRATT: My question is to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Mr Hargreaves, there were more than 80 incidents of drink spiking in the period between February 2004 and February 2005. This compares with eight incidents between August 2003 and February 2004. Despite this massive increase in incidents, no charges have been laid by police and no offenders have been identified. Why have the police failed to catch anybody in the past year and a half, given that the number of incidents has skyrocketed?
MR HARGREAVES: I thank Inspector Clouseau for the question. There is a simple fact. These are reported incidents. They are reports. They are not actual incidents.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves, refer to members by their proper names, please.
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