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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 13 Hansard (20 November) . . Page.. 3849 ..


MR CORBELL (continuing):

for presentation of the committee's report. On 14 November, the Planning and Environment Committee presented its report which, notably, did not recommend-

Mrs Dunne: I take a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Mr Corbell has a litany of instances which he characterises as the opposition's spoiling tactics. I do not object to that, but he has said that because the Planning and Environment Committee sought an extension to the reporting date-

MR CORBELL: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker: Mrs Dunne is debating the motion. Either she has a point of order under the standing orders or she does not.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: One at a time, thank you. What is the point of order?

Mrs Dunne: My point of order is that in his reference to the Planning and Environment Committee there was an implication that it is indulging in spoiling tactics, and that is an inappropriate use of language in relation to a committee of the Assembly.

MR CORBELL: There is no point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Mrs Dunne will have an opportunity to respond to these matters when she closes the debate.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Proceed. You will have a chance to respond, Mrs Dunne.

MR CORBELL: Mr Deputy Speaker, the Planning and Environment Committee presented its report on 14 November. Notably, that report does not recommend that the land act be reviewed before the commencement of the new legislation; so the specific inquiry into the Planning and Land Bill did not recommend that the land act be reviewed before the commencement of the new legislation.

Finally, nearly a year later-on 19 November-we have the motion from Mrs Dunne that is now before us. (Quorum formed.) If members read the motion carefully, I think that the message to them will be quite clear: the Liberal Party has no intention of allowing this reform to occur, because the existence of a land development agency threatens in their minds to undermine the interests of those who are currently involved in land development in the territory.

Here again, Mrs Dunne devises a way to present old information, which is point 1 of her motion, all information we have had for some time, and use that information to create worry and confusion, point 2. It is the same old story: "Don't do anything until you do something else so that we can also delay that." There is no real confusion; Mrs Dunne knows exactly what is going on. She wants members to be so concerned that something may be wrong that they cannot deny the need to delay and delay.

Perhaps it would be best if I briefly summarised for the benefit of members what is really going on with this legislation. As the government responded to the Estimates Committee recommendations, the Planning and Land Bill 2002 deals with the government structure for the planning and land system within the territory. It sets out clearly the roles and responsibilities of the minister and other elected representatives who will be responsible for setting the policy framework; the Planning and Land Authority, which will administer the planning and leasing systems; the chief planning executive, in whom the powers of the Planning and Land Authority are proposed to be vested; the Planning and


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