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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 09 Hansard (Wednesday, 18 August 2004) . . Page.. 3873 ..

We cannot replace the irreplaceable but we need to mitigate the harm that we are doing. It is disappointing to see that the Labor and Liberal parties are planning to vote together to keep destroying our natural heritage. I put the question: when will enough be enough? Perhaps when we have lost the majority of our natural bush and many more of our native species, and only then, will many realise the mistakes that have been made.

A commitment to stopping the loss of native vegetation may sound radical, but it is a step that both New South Wales and Victoria are willing to make. Often we have the conversation about needing to be in step with what is happening over the border. This is one opportunity we have before us that is not being followed.

It seems that some members have made a decision to oppose this bill based on an inherent conservatism—a belief that we cannot make an overnight leap from 200 years of loss of native vegetation to a goal of no net loss. I believe that that shows a lack of vision. This is something that I am sure will be revisited by the Assembly in the future as we continue to see what will happen when we just clear native vegetation without any thought of recourse or on how that will impact on future generations.

Question put:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

The Assembly voted—

Ayes 2

Noes 13

Ms Dundas

Mr Berry

Mr Pratt

Ms Tucker

Mrs Burke

Mr Quinlan

Mr Cornwell

Mr Smyth

Mrs Cross

Mr Stanhope

Ms Gallagher

Mr Stefaniak

Mr Hargreaves

Mr Wood

Ms MacDonald

Question so resolved in the negative.

Papers

Mr Wood presented the following papers:

Calvary Public Hospital—Information Bulletin—Patient Activity Data—External Distribution—July 2004.

The Canberra Hospital—Information Bulletin—Patient Activity Data—July 2004.

Charter of Responsibilities Bill 2004

Debate resumed from 23 June 2004, on motion by Mr Stefaniak:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

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