Page 107 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 14 February 2012
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nearly 11 years and we have created a two-class Canberra. We have made it much harder for young families to buy a home, to rent. But that is not our fault; that is federal Labor’s fault. That is the fault of the federal department for the environment.” Rubbish! Let us—
Mr Barr: EPBC is a Howard government piece of legislation, Zed. Do you stand by that legislation?
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Barr!
MR SESELJA: Now we have Mr Barr saying that presumably federal Labor is going to repeal that. I would love to see some improvements to that legislation. But let us be clear on this: we have known about Molonglo for decades, we have known about the new suburbs in Gungahlin for decades; but what did the government do? They sat on their hands. And now they say, “It is the environmental assessments.”
Environmental assessments are frustrating and they are slow and we could reform that system. But you knew that was the case and you did not do anything about it. You could have gone out there earlier and done the planning. The environmental assessments could have been done and we would have the land ready for people to buy and build a home on.
I find it highly ironic that we had the government, the Labor Party, joining with the Greens to call on federal intervention.
Mr Barr interjecting—
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Barr!
MR SESELJA: They passed a motion in this place. He is sitting there lamenting—
Mr Barr: Point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker.
MR SESELJA: Can we stop the clock, Madam Deputy Speaker, if I am going to be frivolously interrupted?
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes.
Mr Barr: The Leader of the Opposition knows very well that the statement he just made is not true and he should be asked to withdraw that.
MR SESELJA: That is a debating point.
Mr Barr: That is not. It is a reflection—
MR SESELJA: Can we stop the clock, Madam Deputy Speaker?
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: We have. Stop the clock, please.
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