Page 2477 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 1 July 2008
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Gary Schmidt gave me a very good idea. He told me this government’s idea of consultation is after a fait accompli. I do not think he actually got quoted on that on WIN, but I heard him say it and I thought, “That is a top line note; I will use it.” It is so true. I have no idea how he votes and I do not particularly care; he is a concerned citizen. But he is frustrated. We talk to people who say they are Labor voters and they say they are utterly frustrated with your arrogance, your lack of consultation and the fact that you simply will not see people.
It is a hallmark of your government. And, by all means, from the opposition’s point of view, continue—go for it. You are going to suffer at the polls because of it. But it is not good government. You have got a few months to redress that. You have got a few months to lift your bloody game and talk to people—talk to them, not at them. See people who want to see you and you might get somewhere.
MR STANHOPE (Ginninderra—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Business and Economic Development, Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Minister for the Environment, Water and Climate Change, Minister for the Arts) (3.22): It is interesting that Mr Stefaniak devoted almost his entire address regarding a lack of consultation to a specific example—namely, an example of road construction in Macgregor. We saw this, of course, featured on WIN television last night—a significant exclusive from Mr Stefaniak. Of course, the entire case developed by Mr Stefaniak is a complete fiction. It is actually deeply false. There were significant consultations on this particular development. It is quite remarkable that Mr Stefaniak—
Mr Stefaniak: Tell that to the residents, Jon, because none of them felt consulted.
MR STANHOPE: Well, let me just go through the consultation. The first round of community consultation occurred in October 2004. The second round of community consultation occurred in June 2006. The consultation was advertised in the Canberra Chronicle, in the Canberra Times and by direct letterbox drop in Macgregor and adjacent suburbs. Between 220 and 250 people attended the hut adjacent to Macgregor primary school for the community consultation on Osburn Drive. There were also 15 to 20 concerned horse riders who attended. Both ABC and WIN television attended the consultation, and both the ABC and WIN undertook interviews with the 220 to 250 concerned residents of Macgregor who attended the consultation.
The night presented information on site analysis, opportunities and constraints, planning principles and identified options, including vehicle connections in every direction. A number of issues were raised, including how much of the area would be developed, the impact of development on traffic, the implications for all roads and resultant traffic impacts. A site walk with members of the community was conducted in November, and, indeed, Mrs Vicki Dunne MLA, member for Ginninderra, attended the consultations.
We have just seen the charade of the entire 15-minute speech by Bill Stefaniak, resident of Macgregor, being about no consultation in relation to a specific
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