Page 1967 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 7 June 2017
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Those are the words of Chief Minister Andrew Barr in an editorial in the Canberra Times earlier this year and, without question, we support those words. This was the big community consultation editorial that the Chief Minister penned for the Canberra Times, and I found it in part refreshing to read. Let me repeat what the Chief Minister said:
We’ll be very clear what is up for debate, so the people are in no doubt about what is open to change as a result of community feedback.
This motion is urging the Chief Minister to keep true to his words. Based on the large, redacted sections of the FOI request that the opposition leader’s office received, it is very clear that dozens more community facilities zones were considered for the purpose of building medium to large public housing developments. In this age of transparency, clearly spelt out by the Chief Minister, it is imperative that we inform Canberrans right across this city what is planned for the community facilities zone close to them. All I am attempting to do here is assist the government in its community consultation. All I am saying is that we are all in this together; so in the spirit of tripartisanship, let us link arms and inform the public of the plans that this government has for their suburbs and for their neighbourhoods.
I say “tripartisanship”, knowing that the Greens are always trumpeting transparency. Our two Greens members are so transparent that on some days I think I can see right through them. I am always, in all seriousness, hearing from Mr Rattenbury and Ms Le Couteur about community consultation, about transparency, about informing the community what is on the agenda. I am counting on Greens’ support for this motion, because this motion simply fulfils the rhetoric that we hear constantly from those opposite and on the crossbench.
As a part of that process of moving forward, as a part of the process of letting go, I think it is important that the government explain to all of us why such levels of secrecy were necessary on these issues of vital importance. If you have nothing to hide, why would you be hiding anything?
Although the Chief Minister is continually talking about transparency and open government, there are those in the community who sense something a lot more sinister when it comes to secrecy from this government. I was reading a letter to the editor of the Canberra Times from a gentleman from Bruce the other day. I think his name was Jon. And this man Jon from Bruce suggested—
Mrs Dunne: Was that with an “h” or without an “h”?
MR PARTON: Without an “h”. This man Jon from Bruce suggested that it was imperative that an independent integrity commission be established immediately here in the ACT because he has concerns about what has gone on behind the scenes. So in the spirit of transparency, in the spirit of this new age of open government, here is the chance for the government to put all the cards on the table.
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