Page 3818 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 19 September 2018

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I am pretty gobsmacked, to be honest. I really expected better. But as Minister Gentlemen noted, the Canberra Liberals not standing up to their colleagues, whether they be in the federal parliament or the New South Wales parliament, particularly when it comes to this place, is pretty embarrassing. But they do have form.

As we have heard today, the New South Wales government’s Kosciusko Wild Horses Heritage Act 2018 is an absolutely reckless piece of legislation. It is an unprecedented plan, it is a plan we were not consulted on and it puts Namadgi National Park under threat. It threatens to cause significant environmental damage that will impact flora, fauna and the people of Canberra. It threatens to endanger native wildlife and plant life. It threatens to impact our drinking water, it threatens our efforts to keep feral horse numbers under control and potentially is going to have a greater impact on our ability to keep other feral animals under control as we are distracted by this.

This New South Wales legislation was drafted and passed in opposition to expert advice and evidence. It was condemned by eminent conservation and scientific organisations. As we have noted, it sparked the resignation of a scientific adviser to the government.

We know the risks of feral horses in our country and that the opposition today has chosen to ignore those risks that are going to impact on the ACT when they have chosen to defend the New South Wales government for reckless legislation is just appalling, and I hope that they seriously reflect.

Question put:

That the motion be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Ayes 11		Noes 8
Ms J Burch	Mr Pettersson	Miss C Burch	Ms Lee
Ms Cheyne	Mr Ramsay	Mr Coe	Mr Wall
Ms Cody	Mr Rattenbury	Mrs Dunne
Ms Fitzharris	Mr Steel	Mr Hanson
Ms Le Couteur	Ms Stephen-Smith	Mrs Kikkert
Ms Orr		Ms Lawder

Question resolved in the affirmative.

School underperformance—proposed inquiry

MS LEE (Kurrajong) (4.30): I move:

That this Assembly:

(1) notes that:

(a) teachers in Canberra schools work hard to support all students to reach their fullest potential and should be acknowledged for their dedication;

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