Page 4790 - Week 15 - Thursday, 8 December 1994
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Madam Speaker, Professor Walker is not without his critics. I objected to his being given the position of chair of the Lansdown committee for the same sorts of reasons as apply to his appointment to the National Capital Planning Authority. One of the most distressing things is that I cannot find a single thing that Professor Walker has had published. Usually an academic - a professor - would have significant publications, and probably a range of significant publications; but in this case there appear to be none. Certainly, none are recorded inWho's Who, where people always record their publications. None are mentioned in his own CV, which was provided to me by the National Capital Planning Authority. My research also found none. My approaches to other academics indicate that there are certainly no substantive publications in his name.
How, then, did he become a professor? Madam Speaker, in fact, he was appointed a professor at the University of Melbourne - this is actually recorded in theAge - following a donation to the University of Melbourne by a major developer. It so happens that that developer had been able to get a major project - a controversial project - through when he was Minister. Madam Speaker, this is not new information, but it has been reported in Victoria. The appointment of that particular Minister was a controversial appointment. I will just say a few more words - - -
MADAM SPEAKER: You really are stretching the relevance rule, Mr Moore. Please wind up.
MR MOORE: Madam Speaker, I will conclude by saying that this is one of the worst cases of a mate being appointed. Under the mates system, Mr Howe has appointed one of his Labor mates to this position, when he ought not to be there. I will finish on that note, Madam Speaker, and come back to the Nature Conservation (Amendment) Bill. I am delighted to support the Bill, and I will move the amendments that I have mentioned at the detail stage.
MR WOOD (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for the Arts and Heritage and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (11.52), in reply: Madam Speaker, to respond to Mr Stefaniak's comments on what the Scrutiny of Bills Committee has reported, I can indicate that his comments are correct. Section 23E does cover the issue. That section was created by the amendment Act passed earlier this year. I can assure Mr Stefaniak that "remove" and "removal" mean the same thing. I am sure that that will cover his concerns in that area. From the discussion that Mr Moore, Mr Stefaniak and I have had over the last couple of days, we have agreed to an amendment, which Mr Moore will move.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
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