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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-12-02 Daily Xml
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NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE: UPPER SOUTH EAST DRYLAND SALINITY AND FLOOD MANAGEMENT ACT

The Hon. G.M. GUNN (Stuart) (17:00): By leave, on behalf of the chairman, I move:

That the 36th report of the committee, entitled Upper South East Dryland Salinity and Flood Management Act 2002 Report 2008-09, be noted.

We took a great deal of evidence on this particular matter and we had two interesting bodies of opinion: those who wanted drains and those who did not. From an impartial point of view, on this occasion I believe the minister got it right. The minister got it right and that was the view of the committee. Now I know one or two people on my side of politics will not be pleased with my saying that, but, at the end of the day, rationally looking at all the evidence and having received some very good advice and comments from responsible people with no axe to grind, it was clear that there was only one course of action to take.

In relation to the NRM parliamentary committee, I have found it to be perhaps the best committee that I have sat on during my time in parliament. We got on very well together. I do not think that on any occasion we divided on party lines. We objectively looked at the issues. We have done a great deal of work, and I think a great deal of credit goes to the chairman for the way in which he chaired the committee and gave everyone great opportunity and, when necessary, put certain witnesses through their paces when they were acting inappropriately. There are one or two witnesses who I do not think will forget their experience before the committee, but it was a fair warning to others that the committee was not to be fooled with, because we did expect to be told the truth and we did expect to be in a position to inform this house properly. I commend the report to the house.

Motion carried.

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