Page 2884 - Week 09 - Thursday, 13 August 2015
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Mr Coe: Point of order.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Would you sit down, Mr Corbell.
Mr Corbell: I ask you to stop the clock, Madam Deputy Speaker.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Do you have a point of order, Mr Coe?
Mr Coe: Madam Deputy Speaker, I believe the question is about the suspension of standing orders rather than the substantive nature of the debate. Therefore I wonder whether it is particularly relevant to the question on the suspension of standing orders.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Coe. You need to just explain why we—
Ms Fitzharris: Can you stop the clock?
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes; turn the clock off. Mr Corbell, you just need to point out why we need to suspend standing orders.
MR CORBELL: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. That is exactly what I am doing—explaining the urgency behind the need to suspend standing orders to bring these motions on.
If we do not bring these motions on today, and the government proposes to negative these motions, there will continue to be uncertainty around whether or not these variations to the territory plan are able to proceed in a timely manner. That is going to hinder investment in the University of Canberra; it is going to delay their plans and their arrangements with private sector investors. At the same time, it is going to cast uncertainty over the time frames for the finalisation of planning for the capital metro project.
Both of these are critical projects for the territory. The government is of the view that we need to address these disallowance motions today. The Liberal Party have already decided that they are going to disallow them, because Mr Coe has put the motion on the notice paper. There is no reason why Mr Coe cannot stand up today and explain to us why he thinks these variations should be disallowed.
This government is not prepared to see significant uncertainty continue to exist around whether or not these variations will technically occur to the territory plan. We want to resolve that uncertainty. That is why I am moving that so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent me from moving these motions now. The government will propose to negative its motion and therefore remove any uncertainty about these territory plan variations proceeding.
MR COE (Ginninderra) (4.00): It really is an extraordinary circumstance that we have here before us whereby the government are seeking to go around the standing
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