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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 12 Hansard (18 November) . . Page.. 4195 ..

MS GALLAGHER (continuing):

was certainly an additional strain on those families, and the ability to respond within a week was very impressive. I would just like to thank the groups who relocated and all the departmental officers with DEYFS, particularly Children's Services, who worked hard to achieve this outcome.

Rural leases

MRS DUNNE: My question is to the Minister for Planning, Mr Corbell. Minister, in relation to leases in the Molonglo Valley, you told the Assembly on 23 October:

Mr Wood: Mr Speaker-

MRS DUNNE: Wait for it, Mr Wood; let me ask the question. Subsequently, the government has been negotiating with lessees regarding the possibility of buying out their leases-negotiations that the government entered into only reluctantly, under pressure from the opposition and the Greens. These negotiations have revealed that the government's understanding of the entitlements of the lessees has been fundamentally flawed, particularly in respect of entitlements to new leases when the old ones expired, and that the statement about compensation for unexpired portions of the leases was wrong. Now that you know that your advice was incorrect and what you said on 23 October was incorrect, do you concede that you misled the Assembly?

Mr Wood: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Resume your seat, Mr Wood. The imputation was that the minister misled the Assembly. I would like you to withdraw that.

MRS DUNNE: I am asking him whether he felt that he misled the Assembly. I would like the minister to clarify whether that was misleading of the Assembly.

MR SPEAKER: I think that the question posed suggests that somebody has misled the Assembly and it has not been allowed to pass. I think that it ought to be withdrawn if there is any imputation there.

MRS DUNNE: I will withdraw it, but I would like to rephrase the question. Do you think that the information you gave to the Assembly was incorrect?

Mr Wood: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. This matter is listed for debate today. The specific issue that Mrs Dunne has raised is open for debate, I would expect, at that time, so the question is out of order.

MRS DUNNE: On the point of order, Mr Speaker: standing order 117 (f) says that questions may be asked to elicit information regarding business. Asking a question about whether the information is correct is eliciting information, not anticipating debate.

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