Page 3666 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 26 August 2008
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Nonetheless, there are lessons to be learnt. I would like to see a really thorough study of how we might use controlled burns to protect the rest of Namadgi. It is easy to say: “Oh, well, we’ve lost the whole forest. We could have lost a few little bits; then we wouldn’t have lost the whole lot.” That is what we have heard today. But there needs to be science brought to that. I have not seen the science and we did not hear the science in our inquiry.
I want to say also that it is a very useful document. Someone spent a lot of hours going through all the reports and inquiries. I hope that no-one ever has to do that again. In volume 2, we have a very useful document that summarises all the recommendations. It would be ridiculous to have another inquiry that comes up with the same recommendations—because they are: they are basically the same recommendations made over and over again.
If we address those recommendations, we will be doing well. I hope that we have learned something. I hope that the next Assembly does not have to spend a lot of time discussing fire. I hope that the fire we had was our one-in-50-years fire and that we do not need to worry about another wildfire of that extent for 50 years, because that is the way nature works. But we must also remember that, in the context of climate change, we are facing a lot of unknowns, and wildfire is one of the impacts that climate change will have on our territory. And we cannot control what happens in New South Wales. That is clearly an area that requires a lot of work.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (7.55): I move:
That the debate be adjourned.
A call of the Assembly having commenced—
Mr Pratt: You’ve got no guts, have you? You’ve got no guts, have you, Corbell? You’ve got no guts, have you?
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Pratt.
Mr Pratt: Running away from it.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Pratt!
Mr Seselja: You are gutless, aren’t you, Simon?
MR SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, order!
Mr Pratt: You are really lacking in courage. You’ve got the guts of a legless lizard.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Pratt! I have called you to order twice now.
Mr Corbell: More than you will ever have, Mr Pratt.
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