Page 2474 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 13 August 2014
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Nobody wants to hear again the words that the implementation of the proposal continues to be under consideration by the government. If it was seriously under consideration and going to be implemented, it would have happened back with the change of ministers in July. It has not occurred. So let us stop messing around with this, be up-front and tell the people of Canberra what the plan actually is.
If it is going to stay the same because of an internal battle of ministerial egos, say so. Perhaps it is part of the government’s strategy in the lead-up to the next election, a way to explain changes which will result in a cosmetic split between Labor and the Greens. But, please, do not keep saying, “We are considering it.” How much consideration does something that everyone agrees on need? I commend the motion to the Assembly.
MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Minister for Health, Minister for Higher Education and Minister for Regional Development) (3.28): I welcome the opportunity to talk on this matter again today, and I must say I do find it a little rich being lectured by the Canberra Liberals on the importance of the environment. I do not know if anyone else has noticed some of the irony there from those who have campaigned against the carbon tax, those who have failed to support important renewable energy initiatives like the solar farm, those who will not agree to the targets that we set to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Yet we have got a lecture about how we line our administrative functions up. Yes, let us deal with the big issues then, Ms Lawder, as the shadow environment person, but you have the most right wing environment policies, if you have any policies at all on the environment. Do not then come in here and start lecturing me on how to arrange the administrative arrangements for the ACT public service.
I turn to some of the suggestions from Ms Lawder. I would draw her attention to the major issues of environmental importance affecting Canberra, Australia and the world and would suggest that perhaps that could be the focus of the Canberra Liberals, for just a smidgen of time—if you could just pay attention to the bigger issues. In terms of the single nature conservation agency—and I am aware of the commitments we made in the parliamentary agreement, and members will be updated soon on how we are seeing excellent progress on the commitments made in the parliamentary agreement rollout, and this remains one of them yet to be implemented—it is solely within my discretion to arrange the administrative arrangements for the ACT public service.
It is one of the very few individual decisions and prerogatives of the Chief Minister, and I will make the decision when it is right. It is not for the Assembly or for the Canberra Liberals who see it as some sort of joke and an opportunity to have a go at individual members of the government and their particular interests. When I am convinced that it will improve service to the community, that it will improve protection of the environment, and that the systems in place that support that transfer will deliver an outcome for the staff and for the executive—and we have been given the responsibility from the people of Canberra to manage these matters—that is when the decision will be taken.
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