Page 2851 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 29 June 2011
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It is interesting to see that, for instance, the conservation council, as well as eminent individuals whom I would turn to for advice on a range of issues, have raised with members of the Legislative Assembly their concerns about the number of rangers that we have, the fact that it seems to be a badly kept secret that rangers have been told they will be losing their jobs, that there is downsizing in the area. These are vital and important areas, and I think that we are right to very closely scrutinise what is happening in Mr Corbell’s directorates and to have some say about this.
It is not every day that members of the Legislative Assembly come in here and say that we do not want to see particular administrative changes happening until we are satisfied. In a sense, Mr Corbell is right to say that micromanaging is an issue. The fact that we do it so rarely indicates that this is a problem. It is such a problem that we have come in here today to actually put a halt to some of these changes until we are satisfied that the functions will continue in the most effective way possible, and that those functions will continue in the way that was committed to by this Labor government when they said they would implement the coroner’s inquiry recommendations and the McLeod inquiry recommendations.
We have seen over the years the gradual dismantling of the recommendations of the McLeod inquiry. Before they were seen, the then Chief Minister said, “We’ll implement everything,” sight unseen, and then we gradually went, “Oh, that was a problem, this one’s a problem,” and, over time, a range of them have been dismantled.
Mr Seselja: When he said “all”, he didn’t mean “all”.
MRS DUNNE: Perhaps he did have his fingers crossed at the time; we will never know. The bushfire unit has had a fairly rocky history but it is, as Mr Smyth says, working very well at the moment. It has highly respected staff—respected not just in the ACT but generally. They are award winning staff. And Mr Corbell would oversee a situation which would see that undone.
I congratulate Mr Smyth on bringing this matter to the attention of the Assembly. Anyone who is interested in land management should be very concerned about the developments here. We have a role and responsibility to make sure that Mr Corbell does not mess it up.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (4.11): I would like to speak briefly on Mr Corbell’s amendment to my amendment. The Greens will not be supporting it. In essence, you cannot unscramble an egg. I think it is appropriate that we have the debate and discussion in the Assembly before the change is fully implemented. I think that the prospective delay, if this is an issue of timing, is not significant. There is an opportunity to provide this information to members of the Assembly in a timely manner, let discussion take place and then move forward, if that is the appropriate and best thing to do, or not, as the case may be. On that basis, I think it is appropriate that we have the information given to members before the government proceeds.
I am mindful—and Mrs Dunne has just picked up on this point—of the fact that a significant number of very relevant stakeholders are raising real concerns with
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