Page 2040 - Week 07 - Thursday, 23 August 2007
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MR BARR: I am sorry, Mr Speaker, I am allowing myself to be distracted. This highlights the important point that I have been making throughout this debate. Throughout this process the Liberal opposition moved a series of amendments that would make it difficult for the community and for community groups to be involved in the planning process.
The government sought to resist those amendments and to steer a clear middle path between the extreme position held by the Greens and the position held by the Liberals. It falls on the great Australian Labor Party to steer an effective middle course to ensure that we have a fine balance in our planning system. The government does not support the amendments moved by Mr Seselja as they would unfairly impinge on the right of community groups to have standing in these matters.
DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (9.56): Through this amendment Mr Seselja seeks to make the already severely limited legal appeal rights to community organisations dependent on the personal whim of the relevant minister. It is good that it was rejected by the relevant minister. This amendment is to be read in conjunction with Mr Seselja’s next amendment to clause 411, so I will save my comments on the combined effect of these amendments until we consider that clause.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo) (9.57): I thank the minister and Dr Foskey for their contributions but I do not think Mr Barr’s Labor Party conference-style speech added much to our deliberations. The idea that the ACT Labor Party is anywhere near approaching a middle path is laughable. We could poll other Labor premiers to get their opinion on where the ACT Labor Party sits on the ideological spectrum.
Proposed new clause 403A negatived.
Clause 404 agreed to.
Clause 405.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Planning, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Minister for Industrial Relations) (9.58): I move amendment No 118 circulated in my name [see schedule 1 at page 2065].
Amendment No 118, which is a companion amendment to amendment No 15, will insert a new paragraph (aa) in clause 405 (5) to specify that a draft plan variation is a relevant document when assessing public information and security. A draft plan variation is added to the list of documents that may be withheld from publication for national security reasons.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 405, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 406 and 407, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Proposed new clause 407A.
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