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Tuesday, 13 May 1997
Page: 3241


Senator HARRADINE(4.51 p.m.) —I cannot cope with that sort of thing. It is a false alarm, for crying out loud. Look at page 11 of the legislation. I know you did not have anything to do with the legislation being prepared; Senator Hill and his people did, and I had a bit to do with it myself, I might say. On page 11 of the legislation at point 21, it says `Principles of ecologically sustainable development'. There it is in black and white. It says:

(1)   This section applies to a decision of a Minister to approve a proposal to spend money in the Reserve for a purpose of the Reserve.

(2)   In making that decision, the Minister concerned must have regard to:

   (a) the principles of ecologically sustainable development—

et cetera. Then it defines what `principles of ecologically sustainable development' consist of. I am all in favour of simple legislation, but what is the use of putting this word in there when you have it in the legislation itself, as a requirement for the minister before he makes his decision. I cannot understand what all the fuss is about, so I am going to support the legislation as it is.