Page 4640 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 19 October 2011

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views on all of these things. Indeed our community expects us to have views on all of these things and to manage those views and to articulate and advocate them in the interests of Canberrans.

I cannot see one logical reason why it would not be in the interests of Canberrans, every Canberran regardless of where they live, that the people that they elect to represent them in the Assembly should be able to determine laws and pass those laws throughout the democratic processes established in this chamber without the fear that one minister in federal parliament can override those laws with a swipe of the pen, just because we live here in the ACT and because of the way the constitution and the self-government act are established.

We believe more change needs to happen, we believe this is a continuous piece of work, but we also believe that Bob Brown’s bill is worth the support of the federal parliament and indeed at the very least it is worth the unanimous support of members in this place.

DR BOURKE (Ginninderra) (12.27), in reply: The territories self-government legislation amendment bill is about genuine democracy, genuine equality in citizenship, for Canberrans. Mr Seselja used his speech this morning to indulge himself in personal invective and negative attack on those representing the interests of territorians. This continues the Liberals’ total reliance on negativity and refusal to offer a positive idea.

I thank Ms Hunter for her support for this motion and her reiteration of many of the points of my speech. The Chief Minister brought to our attention the eminent views of legal experts supporting this amendment and that the public hearings held also evidenced strong support for this amendment.

This motion is about respect for the rights of Canberrans so that we have the same democratic rights as our neighbours in Queanbeyan. It is disappointing that the Liberals cannot categorically state that they support this proposition. Our laws can be overturned by the stroke of a pen—any law, on any subject—with no debate, no rationale, on a whim. The Senate and House of Representative committees have already said that there is no impediment to further reforms. They acknowledge that there is unfinished business. I would urge all MLAs to support this motion.

Question put:

That Dr Bourke’s motion be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

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