PAPERS Thursday, 13 October 1994 COUNCIL 441 Thursday, 13 October 1994 National Electricity - Report, 5 October 1993 to 30 June 1994. National Parks Advisory Council- Report, 1993-94. The ACTING PRESIDENT (Hon. D. M. Evans) Port of Geelong Authority - Report, 1993-94. took the chair at 10.02 a.m. and read the prayer. Prison Industries Commission - Report, 1993-94. PAPERS Public Record Office - Report, 1993-94. Laid on table by Clerk: Public Transport Corporation - Report, 1993-94. Coal Corporation - Report, 1993-94. Roads Corporation - Report, 1993-94. Construction Industry Long Service Leave Board - Report, 1993-94. Rural Finance Act 1988 - Treasurer's directive of 3 October 1994 to the Rural Finance Corporation. Country Fire Authority - Report, 1993-94. Rural Water Corporation - Report, 1993-94. Dairy Industry Authority - Report, 1993-94. Stamps Act 1958 - Minister's report of 29 September Electricity Services Victoria - Report,S October 1993 1994 of approved exemptions and partial exemptions to 30 June 1994. and refunds made on corporate reconstructions for 1993-94. Energy Brix Australia Corporation - Report, 5 October 1993 to 30 June 1994. State Electricity Commission - Report, 1993-94. Gas and Fuel Corporation - Report, 1993-94. State Library Council-Report, 1993-94: Generation Victoria - Report,S October 1993 to Tourism Victoria -Report, 1993-94. 30 June 1994. Transport Accident Commission - Report, 1993-94. Historic Buildings Council- Report, 1993-94. Victorian Plantations Corporation - Report, 1993-94. Latrobe Regional Commission - Report, 1993-94. Victorian Relief Committee - Report, 1993-94. Legal Aid Commission - Report, 1993-94. AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX BILL Libraries Board - Report, 1993-94. Second reading Meat Authority - Report, 1993-94 and Corporate Plan, 1994 to 1999 pursuant to section 64(1) of the Meat Debate resumed from 12 October; motion of Ron. Industry Act 1993 (two papers). HADDON STOREY (Minister for Tertiary Education and Training). Melbourne Market Authority - Report, 1993-94 (two papers). Ron. B. T. PULLEN (Melbourne) - The house now has before it the Australian Grand Prix Bill. H Melbourne Water Corporation - Report, 1993-94. the government could ever be accused of having made incredibly stupid moves in any situation, it Melbourne Water Corporation Employees' would be on the way it has handled the grand prix Superannuation Fund - Report, 1993-94. issue. At some stage there must have been an opportunity to obtain bipartisan support for the Metropolitan Fire Brigades Board - Report, 1993-94. grand prix to be held on a site in Victoria. Although many Victorians are not opposed to the concept of Museums Advisory Board - Report, 1993-94. having a grand prix, the government has made alienating the community on this issue into an art AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX BILL 442 COUNCIL Thursday. 13 October 1994 form. The opposition is not opposed to the concept people. It has tried to denigrate their resistance by of having a grand prix in Victoria but it cannot abusing them. It has not accepted that there is a support the grand prix being held at Albert Park. reasonable and broad community view that the park is unsuitable for the grand prix. This situation is typical of the way this government has operated: it disregards and is disdainful of local The government has not entered into any dialogue. communities. This is not an isolated incident. It is It has basically pre-empted any debate in that area. typical of the way the government is now treating It has left its own members in a parlous situation communities. We have the example of the Mansfield because of the inevitable position they must take in community, which has been alienated by the the communities they represent. It is unreasonable government because of the way it has handled the for any government, no matter what its standing in proposed development of Mount Stirling and the polls or its overall pOSition is, or any of its ignored the concerns of local people. members, whatever they perceive their power position to be, not to listen to rational arguments The government has totally ignored the legitimate from constituents about going through a process concerns of small communities. Country that respects their right to have a view on any issue. communities such as Swan Hill and Kerang have been alienated by the way the government has dealt The government has systematically denied that to with their train services and the way it has the people of Albert Park, as it has denied it to many overridden the water restructuring process in those other communities. That is the nub of the position communities. the government has put itself into on the grand prix issue. It has compounded the situation because the Hon. R. A. Best interjected. more the issue is examined, the more people ask the question, 'Why is the government not prepared to Hon. B. T. PULLEN - Those communities are up have a decent process in relation to the grand prix?' in arms basically because of the way the government to display some of the thinking behind it and the has treated them. Even this week the Minister for reasons it is not possible to have open discussion. Local Government has indicated support for the We see that special interests are involved and that closing of the Fitzroy swimming pool by the there is a lack of honesty and an unwillingness by appointed commissioners for the City of Yarra. the government to lay the information out on the table to show people the benefits of the grand prix. Hon. Louise Asher - What has that to do with this? The government has been incredibly secretive about the grand prix both in terms of the financial Hon. B. T. PULLEN - The link, Mrs Asher -- situation and the issues, of who is involved, what negotiations have occurred and who is to benefit Hon. Louise Asher - I am not Mrs - be modem! from the event. The government has tended to take the view that anybody who criticises its actions in Hon. B. T. PULLEN - The link is quite clear. On the case must be the enemy, and if so, should not be almost any issue the government has displayed its treated seriously. propensity to attack rather than to respond to local communities. For that reason it demonstrates that in The latest example of that is this draconian thecase-- legislation which, although claimed to be modelled on the South Australian legislation, clearly is The ACTING PRESIDENT (Hon. D. M. overprotective of the corporation which is being Evans) - Order! There is too much audible established because it runs right across and over the conversation on both sides of the chamber. If normal rights of people. We have seen considerable honourable members want to have a conversation, but ineffective attempts by the Scrutiny of Acts and they should do it outside. Mr Pullen has the floor, Regulations Committee to moderate the legislation without interruption. on the basis of evidence put before it by representatives of the Victorian Council for Civil Hon. B. T. PULLEN - In the case of the grand Uberties and others who feel aggrieved about the prix, if the government had set out to alienate the additional steps being taken with the legislation to people of Albert Park it could not have gone about it remove the right to process. I will go into that in in a more deliberate way. The government has in no some detail later. sense entered into any serious dialogue with those AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX BILL Thursday. 13 October 1994 COUNCIL 443 The opposition will move a reasoned amendment in essentially the government is challenging people to terms of the handling of this legislation. I move, as argue against it and provide evidence at the same an amendment: time as doing its utmost not to allow any evidence or information to be made available. It bludgeons That all the words after 'that' be omitted with the view people for information to support its cases at the of inserting in place thereof 'this house refuses to read very time that it withholds all the resources and this bill a second time until the government - information necessary for people to provide those cases. The letter crystallises how the government is (a) releases all documents relevant to the grand prix; acting in almost all instances. (b) undertakes an independent cost-benefit analysis of the grand prix and details the extent of taxpayer The second point of the reasoned amendment is liability for the event; about the undertaking of an independent cost-benefit analysis of the grand prix and the (c) conducts a full and open inquiry into the health, detailing of the extent of taxpayer liability for the planning and environmental effects of the grand event. The people of Victoria have not been told prix at Albert Park, which gives residents, sporting what the grand prix will cost them. That has been clubs, businesses and any other person affected by declared confidential information by Ron Walker. the grand prix an opportunity to make We are not to have the information about what we submissions; are paying for; even though it is public money we (d) properly examines alternative sites for the grand are not entitled to know how it is being used. We are prix, including the Dockland site; and told only the amounts that are related to the capital works on the site, and expected to believe that they (e) undertakes not to appoint to the Australian Grand are basically benefits. It has been indicated that Prix Corporation any person with a conflict of $25 million will go to the infrastructure associated interest or who stands to make pecuniary gain as a with the grand prix, $20 million for permanent result of the grand prix.'.