Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 11 Hansard (25 September) . . Page.. 3337 ..

Mr Berry: You might check out "doublespeak" and "two-facedness" as well. If we keep adding to the list we will have nothing to say about Mrs Carnell.

MR SPEAKER: And you might resume your seat.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, I think that it is very important for us to be able to describe in some way, though, this action whereby we get a promise to the people of Canberra and then exactly the opposite happens. That was why I used the word "hypocrisy", which I have since withdrawn. I am just working through my mind to see whether I can find another word to achieve the same sorts of goals.

Mr Speaker, what we have is a situation where I raised the issue and said, "It is time for us to contain Mrs Carnell". I indicated that I would put this motion. Indeed, I did that. We then got, effectively, a response in the Canberra Times last Saturday in which Mr Bell spoke about this rally route along the foreshore of the lake. The article states:

Mr Bell said, "No part of the proposed route will be used that isn't already a road and doesn't already carry regular vehicle traffic. We won't be removing any grass and we won't be creating a new road".

Anybody who actually drives under the bridge and past the Carillon will know that what is actually there is a couple of dirt tracks that people have made when they have driven their cars down to go fishing. It has a bit of gravel here and there and, at the moment, quite a lot of mud. As far as rally driving is concerned, that would be very appropriate if it happened to be out in the forest.

I have nothing against the rally being held in Canberra. I think it is a fantastic opportunity, and I do not want that to be misconstrued. But there is an appropriate time and place for everything. Having rallies in Canberra's forests has been very successful for the people who are involved in this particular sport. It may well be, Mr Speaker, that there is an appropriate and very prominent location for us to run such a rally. But it has to be after a process of community consultation. It has to be a process that comes through this Assembly, because we cannot trust the Government to do it.

That is what this motion is about. It is about not being able to trust this Government with our lake foreshores or, for that matter, our lakes. Mrs Carnell has made it very clear that she is not to be trusted on this issue and that she is prepared to sneak things through, dare I say, in order to get her photo in the paper in some new rig-out. I have a copy of the picture of Mrs Carnell in her Rally of Canberra rig-out which, no doubt, members have seen. It will not be necessary for me to table it. Mr Speaker, this motion is simply about saying, "No, on this issue alone, we cannot trust the Government; we are not going to trust them. They will have to come back to this Assembly to deal with issues that are pertinent to this lake". I think it should also be seen as a warning, if this Assembly supports this motion, that we will be prepared to do exactly the same thing to the Government if they do not act in an appropriate way. The Assembly is here to ensure the Government is acting appropriately, and that is what this motion is about.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .