Page 862 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 27 February 2013
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Mr Corbell: On a point of order, I note the Speaker’s instruction that members should be referred to by their proper title. I would ask you to uphold that in relation to Mr Smyth’s recent comments.
MR SMYTH: How did you know I was referring to you, Mr Corbell?
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, can I ask you to refer to Mr Corbell by his correct name?
MR SMYTH: Mr Assistant Speaker, we started a process and we did a test because we had an inner city development. We started the densification that has stalled under this government that would lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas effects on the ACT. We started those projects because we understood. Indeed, the Canberra Liberals were the first government to sign up to the Kyoto protocol. As I said, we were the first government to put out a draft greenhouse gas strategy. We were the first government to put out a strategy and to start to implement that strategy.
Mr Corbell can bleat all he wants but the reality is that our projects, when they were put in place, worked. They did not blow their budgets by tens of millions of dollars, as the northern ponds did and now the new Molonglo ponds have. They actually delivered and are being enjoyed by people. There are not too many that Mr Corbell can point to that have had the success of that initial rejuvenation of Sullivans Creek. Why? Because we worked with the community, we listened and we acted appropriately within our means.
This is just typical of a standard government motion where really they have got nothing else to say. The interesting thing will be whether or not Mr Rattenbury either attempts to amend it or actually votes it down. Given his stinging criticism of the government’s support for the Commissioner for the Environment, one can only imagine that Mr Rattenbury is not happy with the state of the government, or is it that Mr Rattenbury is just very comfortable where he is? I move the amendment circulated in my name:
Omit all words after “greenhouse gas emissions; and” in subparagraph 1(c), substitute:
“(d) the under delivery of electric car charge points by Better Place and their subsequent pull-out from the ACT;
(e) the failure of the ACT Labor-Greens Government to deliver on the ‘No Waste By 2010’ initiative;
(f) the failure of the Government in managing the health of our lakes and waterways;
(g) the Government’s failure to give evidence of environmental benefits for its plastic bags ban;
(h) the breakdown in the Government’s management of the small and medium generator elements of its Solar Feed-In Tariff;
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