Page 3012 - Week 08 - Thursday, 25 June 2009
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government was taking on this issue, because they were wary of the government. And they were wary of the government because the affected area had also suffered through the government’s flawed consultation, the government’s version of openness, honesty and accountability, over the Karralika upgrade.
For those that do not know, Karralika is a rehab centre on the ridge between Macarthur and Fadden, and the government’s idea of bringing the community into its confidence was to letterbox seven people, over the Christmas break, about a major upgrade that it really was not interested in the public knowing about. It was just going to go ahead. It was only because one resident, I think, saw the letter and told other residents that the Karralika Action Group was set up.
Mr Hargreaves: Yes, just after your secret meeting with them.
MR SMYTH: This is the nature of this government and, despite their words, they continue to be caught out. Despite that they have said that they have changed, they have not actually changed.
Mr Hargreaves: You know about that secret meeting, don’t you? You forgot to choose the right number of people to go, and one of them was a spy.
MR SMYTH: Secret meetings? Now we have allegations; we have Mr Hargreaves interjecting that there were secret meetings with people. How dare the community meet—
Mr Hargreaves: And you ran it, Brendan. You ran that meeting.
MR SMYTH: I ran the secret meeting?
Mr Hargreaves: You did.
MR SMYTH: I ran the secret meeting? I must have forgotten about going to that meeting. But there you have it. As Mr Hanson said, as soon as they are caught out and they are brought to book, they are brought to account, they go on the attack and they invent things. They invent secret meetings. I am not aware of any secret meetings. If residents invite me to their homes to have a meeting, I often go, as do all of us. But are they secret meetings? If you deign to have a meeting with your neighbours, because John Hargreaves is not invited it is a secret meeting. Don’t tell anybody, but the community are holding secret meetings against John Hargreaves!
That is the whole point of this MPI—that the government is not open with its constituents. We saw it in the lead-up to the election. The Deputy Chief Minister and then health minister: “All our plans are on the table.” But they were not, and again they have been caught out.
But let us look back at block 1670 and the surrounding blocks. First we had the prison, then we had the dragway, then of course we had the data and power centre. Of course, the government was not truthful with the community on that one either. Allegedly, it was initially in Hume, and then nothing was available that would show the true
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