Page 2004 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 5 June 2018
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decision was based on a brief by the Head of Service which shows there was no internal or cross-directorate consultation. No documents have been provided under FOI requests to show that either the minister for health or the Minister for Mental Health were consulted before this decision was taken. Chief Minister, why didn’t the proposal to drastically restructure the Health Directorate go to cabinet?
MR BARR: Of course, the administrative arrangements are a matter for the Chief Minister to determine, but to put this conspiracy theory to bed, let me be clear that the minister for health and the Minister for Mental Health discussed, over many, many months, this particular issue and consulted with me on numerous occasions. The Head of Service and those associated with the delivery of administrative changes were involved in a discussion over a period of time. But it of course remains the prerogative of the executive government to at any time announce changes to the administrative structure of government. I sign an instrument that outlines such changes on a regular basis. This particular decision involved, as I say, many months of discussion and consideration, and is being developed over a period of some months still to come.
MR COE: Chief Minister, are there any documents or anything that suggests any rigour was undertaken or was all of this simply done at water-cooler conversations?
MR BARR: The government has undertaken an extensive process of assessment in relation to these matters. We have considered and discussed these matters at some length and reached a decision, which we have taken and announced.
MRS DUNNE: Chief Minister, are there any documents to substantiate your claims that this was considered over a lengthy period of time, and that you consulted the Minister for Health and Wellbeing and the Minister for Mental Health?
MR BARR: There certainly are diary meetings and, indeed, the discussions that have been publicly aired by the Minister for Mental Health. The government, as I say, can make administrative changes at any point. I repeat: the government can make administrative changes at any point. I do so regularly, and I will do so in the future.
Planning—Territory Plan
MS LE COUTEUR: My question is to the Minister for Planning and Land Management. It relates to development proposals that threaten our important public spaces with overshadowing. Minister, we have had a rash of these proposals recently: Curtin, Woden town centre and Garema Place in the city. What are you doing to strengthen the Territory Plan so that these types of proposals are rejected?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Ms Le Couteur for her question and her interest in planning. There is the opportunity to provide the best urban open space as we move forward in renewing the city and ensuring that we have enough opportunity for people to live in the city itself as well. We have, of course, strategic codes underneath the Territory Plan and its coding to ensure that we do not overshadow public areas.
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