Page 3620 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 25 August 2009
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MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mrs Dunne) Order, members! This is not a conversation; this is a matter of public importance.
Mr Barr: Didn’t the head of development assessment outline all of the other things?
MS LE COUTEUR: Mr Barr, we did go through all of these things. You are quite correct.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Ms Le Couteur, refrain from addressing Mr Barr and address the chair.
Mr Barr: Please focus on Mrs Dunne.
MS LE COUTEUR: I thank you for your guidance, Madam Assistant Speaker; I will try to remember this in the future. But there was some discussion on this issue in the public accounts committee. Yes, it is quite true that many aspects have to be taken into account, but if they are ACTPLA has very, very limited discretion.
I was going to move on to another issue which is basically the ASIO building and the associated issues—an area where the people of Canberra have even less opportunity for consultation: all the things under the purview of the National Capital Authority. Unfortunately, I have only 14 seconds left. In short, while I think there is room for improvement of the consultation processes in the local planning system, there is even more room for improvement in national areas.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: The time for this matter of public importance has expired. Before I call the Clerk, I draw Mr Barr’s attention to the standing orders. I remind Mr Barr that the standing orders require that people address the chair. They do not address the occupier of the chair; they address the office of the chair. You might remember that in future, Mr Barr.
Organised crime—government response to resolution of the Assembly
Paper and statement by minister
Debate resumed.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (4.53): Earlier in the year when the issue of serious organised crime was debated in the Assembly, in particular outlaw motorcycle gangs, I stressed the need to not get caught up in a moral panic and indicated that I was not prepared to see a rushed legislative response. That position was reflected in the motion agreed to at the time. The result of that motion is the report from the government that we are discussing today.
In my opinion, this report is a valuable contribution to the debate in the ACT. It is a factual account of the law as it currently stands and it identifies where there is scope to reform ACT laws to better address serious organised crime. What the report makes very clear is that the ACT has an opportunity to take a cool-headed, evidence-based
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