Page 2005 - Week 07 - Thursday, 23 August 2007
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Liberal colour, as it is unlikely they will be a Green, acts responsibly in determining any application themselves.
In conclusion, call-in powers exist in all jurisdictions in one form or another to provide a contingency for government to make decisions on matters of great significance to the community. We will be supporting this clause.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo) (6.25): Mr Speaker, we will be supporting this clause. I am the first to criticise the call-in when I think it is used in the wrong way. I think I coined the term “call-in Corbell” for Mr Barr’s predecessor. I am sure that had something to do with why Mr Barr did not want to call in the West Belconnen side. He did not want us to come up with a fancy nickname for him.
Mr Barr: As I do not have a first name or a surname that begins with C it makes it pretty difficult for you.
MR SESELJA: Nonetheless, it may not lend itself as well, but we would have come up with something. We wait with bated breath for your first call-in, Mr Barr.
Mr Barr: I look forward to it.
MR SESELJA: Nonetheless, Mr Speaker, that is part of the democratic process. Mr Corbell, Mr Barr or any minister who exercises this power too much will certainly feel the wrath of the electorate and will certainly get significant criticism from the opposition if we feel they are using it in an unreasonable way.
This is a democratically elected parliament. We do not always like what this government does and we do not always like what ministers do, but we have to acknowledge that there has to be an ability to make decisions at times; it is not just about bureaucrats making decisions. Sometimes decisions have to be made, and there should be the ability for a minister, who is hopefully seeking to represent their electorate, to step in at times.
As Mr Barr pointed out, sometimes it will be to reject a development. There will be times when a minister should step in and reject inappropriate developments—and that is another important part of the call-in power. It is a democratic process. The minister is accountable. The minister will stand condemned and will cop a public flogging if he acts inappropriately. It is always within the ability of a parliament, if you have a majority, to override anything through a piece of legislation, if that is considered necessary.
The Greens talk about democracy, but sometimes it is more about the loudest interest group rather than democracy working in action. I have concerns sometimes about some of the arguments that are put forward by the Greens. The ability to block developments wherever possible goes to the heart of what the Greens argue. They would really like to be able to block many more developments and many developments that are quite reasonable.
If we were to follow the Greens on development we would have a stagnant economy and this would be a depressing place to live. Dr Foskey scoffs, but the reality is that, if
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