Page 622 - Week 02 - Thursday, 19 February 2015
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2. Undertake a full review of the handling of the Mr Fluffy loose-fill asbestos issue through a Board of Inquiry as a matter of urgency. This should include the management of the issue by the ACT Government and elected officials since 2004, noting that information obtained at this time influenced the development of the ACT Government’s 2005 asbestos management report.
It goes on to say:
Those experiencing and suffering because of the ongoing saga of mismanagement of the Mr Fluffy loose-fill asbestos issue call for your support. Join us as we stand as a united Canberra calling for the Legislative Assembly to deliver a fair approach to resolving this issue and calling for accountability and transparency in a matter which affects thousands of innocent Canberrans.
This is an important issue, and it will be an important issue for a long time. For a large number of our fellow residents, there will not be peace until there are answers to these questions, and there will not be peace for them until they get a more flexible approach from their government. The 1,089 signatures show that they have a great deal of support throughout the community. Then there is the electronic petition as well.
It is important that we get this right. It is important that there is fairness for all, and we do have a way that we can pay for it. We need to make sure that we do not make these mistakes again in the future. That is why the call for a board of inquiry as a matter of urgency is still relevant and still very important; it should not be delayed simply because the government wants to avoid this as an issue.
I would like to acknowledge that a number of the residents who organised the petition are with us in the gallery today. I thank them for their efforts. I notice that already the bill tabled this morning in regard to the Mr Fluffy issue has drawn some interesting comments about whether it really helps all of those affected. For instance, will all those who have solar units be able to move those units or not?
This issue is not going to go away. This is an issue that the government has to respond to. I look forward to the minister’s response when it is tabled here in the Assembly.
Canberra—urban renewal
Discussion of matter of public importance
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Dr Bourke): Madam Speaker has received letters from Dr Bourke, Mr Doszpot, Ms Fitzharris, Mr Hanson, Ms Porter and Mr Smyth proposing that matters of public importance be submitted to the Assembly. In accordance with standing order 79, Madam Speaker has determined that the matter proposed by Ms Porter be submitted to the Assembly, namely:
The importance of urban renewal to the cultural, economic and social identity of our city.
MS PORTER (Ginninderra) (3.40): I am very glad to be able to talk about urban renewal in this growing city, which is also an evolving city. The city began many
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