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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 11 Hansard (14 December) . . Page.. 3080 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Like Mr Moore, I emphatically deny that there has been or was an agreement between Mr Moore and the Government to facilitate this report being presented. As I say, I saw the report as an opportunity to clear the air, focus on issues that were proactive and forward looking and produce - let us not be overly ambitious - a system free of controversy. It would be overly ambitious to express it in that way; rather, it should be referred to as a system which has some of the kinks in it ironed out and which produces more acceptability.

I also have to defend, in light of Mr Wood's comments, the removal of a number of officers, including the Chief Planner, as a result of the report. In a sense, Mr Wood is right to say that it is a knee-jerk reaction. That is true, but it is the kind of response that is, unfortunately, not open to a government to resist. Had the report been about someone else in circumstances where members - - -

Mr Wood: Consider the report first. Give it careful consideration and then do something.

MR HUMPHRIES: I take up that point. We would not say that a person ought to be left in place until the process had finally resolved itself. With respect, you would not have come into this place and argued that Mr De Domenico ought to be removed from the position of Deputy Chief Minister while his case before the Discrimination Commissioner was pending. You did not do that. You said that he should go right then and there. I hope that there is some consistency here.

Yesterday I was attacked for sacking Mr Tomlins. I note that Mr Tomlins has been transferred, with all his pay and conditions, to another position. This is what happened to Mr Lyon some time ago. I was told that transferring someone like that was not sacking them.

Mr Berry: But that is not what happened to a certain health official.

MR HUMPHRIES: He was sacked, yes. I assume that someone being transferred is not being sacked; or is it? Mr Berry is not sure and neither am I; so I will not ask him to explain. I do say this much: Mr Moore has said that we should use the opportunity to make a cultural change in the planning system and that we should use the opportunity to stop pointing the finger and start being positive and forward looking about the planning system as well. I still retain the hope that we will be able to do that. I am not quite sure how.

The report contains a number of sticky issues which will certainly be the subject of heated debate and division within this place and in the broader community, but I believe that there are some issues on which a resolution of past problems is clearly provided in this report. I would ask members, even members who feel that there are considerable problems with this report, not to throw it out in toto but to accept that they need to work carefully and systematically through this report, pick out things in it which are workable and achievable, and then proceed to make a decision about how we actually improve the quality of our planning system - a system which, we would all concede, has caused a great many people many grey hairs and headaches and one which it is incumbent on us to improve as best we can.

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