Page 1616 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 10 May 2017
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Mrs Jones: No, I have got another point of order, actually.
MADAM SPEAKER: Another point of order, Mrs Jones.
Mrs Jones: Thank you. Members in this place taking pot shots—is that acceptable when the question that I was asking—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mrs Jones!
Mrs Jones: my leader about was how we would respond to amendments that are being made?
MADAM SPEAKER: If your point of order is: is it okay for pot shots, I would ask all those on your side to reflect on that, because regular pot shots are being taken from your side. I am going to ask you to resume your seat. There is no point of order. Mr Rattenbury.
MR RATTENBURY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I was saying, this is an important topic that we are discussing today. I welcome the opportunity to reflect on this matter, as always, because it is important. Certainly, having previously held the TAMS portfolio and worked with the parks and conservation service unit there and being aware of their focus on bushfire matters, I know that people across the community take this very seriously.
I welcome Minister Gentleman’s amendment in the sense that I think he has been very open to the point Mrs Jones is raising. I certainly look forward to his report back as proposed in the August sitting period, at which point the Assembly can get an update from the minister. I will be pleased to support the amendment today.
MS CODY (Murrumbidgee) (5.50): I, too, rise to support Minister Gentleman’s amendment to this motion. As we have all quite clearly spoken about, this is an extremely important motion. Talking about the bushfire abatement zone is a vital conversation and one that should not go unheard.
As we have said many times here today in this debate, the 2003 bushfires were horrendous. I was in Kambah and had many friends and family members who lost parts of or all of their houses, their belongings and a lot of other things. It was a distressing day for many members of our community and one that I am sure none of us who were here will ever forget.
As a result of that fire we established the McLeod inquiry, which looked at a whole raft of issues, including the introduction of or reinforcement of the bushfire abatement zones. Mr Gentleman and Minister Rattenbury have both raised very concise issues and concerns about some of the things that we have talked about. Minister Gentleman has been looking at this and will continue to do so.
My father is a retired firefighter for the ACT. He is, and was, very active in his community, fighting fires on a regular basis. Many times in my childhood we saw
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video