❓ Dr Edwards questions the Premier about the lack of penalty for the Minister for Forest Products regarding illegal land clearing, contrasting it with penalties imposed on others. The Premier defends the Minister, stating approvals were sought and the authorities made a decision.
AnsweredQoN 328Legislative Assembly
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I refer to the fact that 10 people were prosecuted by the Department of Conservation and Land Management last year for illegal land clearing, and to the cases of Michael Harris, who was fined $500 for chopping down a dead tree on a road reserve in 1998, and David Nixon, who was fined $3 000 for bulldozing six trees. (1) Is the community not entitled to be outraged when the Premier’s Minister for Forest Products escapes any penalty, let alone is not charged, for what was clearly an illegal act of land clearing on public property? (2) How can the Premier expect others to respect the law when his minister can break the law with impunity? Mr COURT
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(1)-(2) The minister has given a clear explanation of what approvals were sought and what took place. I understand he said the timber that was cleared is still on the site for anyone to inspect. Mr McGinty: That just shows how dumb he is. Dr Gallop: Some of it was native vegetation. Mr COURT: No, it is timber that the minister had planted, so members should not talk about native vegetation. This road verge was cleared three years ago. The minister went to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and got approval to do the clearing. He has given a clear explanation. However, at the end of the day, the authorities made a decision. If the member is implying that the relevant parties who have the responsibility to make the decision have not been carrying out their responsibility properly, that is a serious allegation and one that the member should take further.
(1) Is the community not entitled to be outraged when the Premier’s Minister for Forest Products escapes any penalty, let alone is not charged, for what was clearly an illegal act of land clearing on public property? (2) How can the Premier expect others to respect the law when his minister can break the law with impunity? Mr COURT replied: (1)-(2) The minister has given a clear explanation of what approvals were sought and what took place. I understand he said the timber that was cleared is still on the site for anyone to inspect. Mr McGinty: That just shows how dumb he is. Dr Gallop: Some of it was native vegetation. Mr COURT: No, it is timber that the minister had planted, so members should not talk about native vegetation. This road verge was cleared three years ago. The minister went to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and got approval to do the clearing. He has given a clear explanation. However, at the end of the day, the authorities made a decision. If the member is implying that the relevant parties who have the responsibility to make the decision have not been carrying out their responsibility properly, that is a serious allegation and one that the member should take further.
(2) How can the Premier expect others to respect the law when his minister can break the law with impunity? Mr COURT replied: (1)-(2) The minister has given a clear explanation of what approvals were sought and what took place. I understand he said the timber that was cleared is still on the site for anyone to inspect. Mr McGinty: That just shows how dumb he is. Dr Gallop: Some of it was native vegetation. Mr COURT: No, it is timber that the minister had planted, so members should not talk about native vegetation. This road verge was cleared three years ago. The minister went to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and got approval to do the clearing. He has given a clear explanation. However, at the end of the day, the authorities made a decision. If the member is implying that the relevant parties who have the responsibility to make the decision have not been carrying out their responsibility properly, that is a serious allegation and one that the member should take further.
Mr COURT replied: (1)-(2) The minister has given a clear explanation of what approvals were sought and what took place. I understand he said the timber that was cleared is still on the site for anyone to inspect. Mr McGinty: That just shows how dumb he is. Dr Gallop: Some of it was native vegetation. Mr COURT: No, it is timber that the minister had planted, so members should not talk about native vegetation. This road verge was cleared three years ago. The minister went to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and got approval to do the clearing. He has given a clear explanation. However, at the end of the day, the authorities made a decision. If the member is implying that the relevant parties who have the responsibility to make the decision have not been carrying out their responsibility properly, that is a serious allegation and one that the member should take further.
(1)-(2) The minister has given a clear explanation of what approvals were sought and what took place. I understand he said the timber that was cleared is still on the site for anyone to inspect. Mr McGinty: That just shows how dumb he is. Dr Gallop: Some of it was native vegetation. Mr COURT: No, it is timber that the minister had planted, so members should not talk about native vegetation. This road verge was cleared three years ago. The minister went to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and got approval to do the clearing. He has given a clear explanation. However, at the end of the day, the authorities made a decision. If the member is implying that the relevant parties who have the responsibility to make the decision have not been carrying out their responsibility properly, that is a serious allegation and one that the member should take further.
Mr McGinty: That just shows how dumb he is. Dr Gallop: Some of it was native vegetation. Mr COURT: No, it is timber that the minister had planted, so members should not talk about native vegetation. This road verge was cleared three years ago. The minister went to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and got approval to do the clearing. He has given a clear explanation. However, at the end of the day, the authorities made a decision. If the member is implying that the relevant parties who have the responsibility to make the decision have not been carrying out their responsibility properly, that is a serious allegation and one that the member should take further.
Dr Gallop: Some of it was native vegetation. Mr COURT: No, it is timber that the minister had planted, so members should not talk about native vegetation. This road verge was cleared three years ago. The minister went to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and got approval to do the clearing. He has given a clear explanation. However, at the end of the day, the authorities made a decision. If the member is implying that the relevant parties who have the responsibility to make the decision have not been carrying out their responsibility properly, that is a serious allegation and one that the member should take further.
Mr COURT: No, it is timber that the minister had planted, so members should not talk about native vegetation. This road verge was cleared three years ago. The minister went to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and got approval to do the clearing. He has given a clear explanation. However, at the end of the day, the authorities made a decision. If the member is implying that the relevant parties who have the responsibility to make the decision have not been carrying out their responsibility properly, that is a serious allegation and one that the member should take further.
(1) Is the community not entitled to be outraged when the Premier’s Minister for Forest Products escapes any penalty, let alone is not charged, for what was clearly an illegal act of land clearing on public property? (2) How can the Premier expect others to respect the law when his minister can break the law with impunity? Mr COURT replied: (1)-(2) The minister has given a clear explanation of what approvals were sought and what took place. I understand he said the timber that was cleared is still on the site for anyone to inspect. Mr McGinty: That just shows how dumb he is. Dr Gallop: Some of it was native vegetation. Mr COURT: No, it is timber that the minister had planted, so members should not talk about native vegetation. This road verge was cleared three years ago. The minister went to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and got approval to do the clearing. He has given a clear explanation. However, at the end of the day, the authorities made a decision. If the member is implying that the relevant parties who have the responsibility to make the decision have not been carrying out their responsibility properly, that is a serious allegation and one that the member should take further.
(2) How can the Premier expect others to respect the law when his minister can break the law with impunity? Mr COURT replied: (1)-(2) The minister has given a clear explanation of what approvals were sought and what took place. I understand he said the timber that was cleared is still on the site for anyone to inspect. Mr McGinty: That just shows how dumb he is. Dr Gallop: Some of it was native vegetation. Mr COURT: No, it is timber that the minister had planted, so members should not talk about native vegetation. This road verge was cleared three years ago. The minister went to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and got approval to do the clearing. He has given a clear explanation. However, at the end of the day, the authorities made a decision. If the member is implying that the relevant parties who have the responsibility to make the decision have not been carrying out their responsibility properly, that is a serious allegation and one that the member should take further.
Mr COURT replied: (1)-(2) The minister has given a clear explanation of what approvals were sought and what took place. I understand he said the timber that was cleared is still on the site for anyone to inspect. Mr McGinty: That just shows how dumb he is. Dr Gallop: Some of it was native vegetation. Mr COURT: No, it is timber that the minister had planted, so members should not talk about native vegetation. This road verge was cleared three years ago. The minister went to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and got approval to do the clearing. He has given a clear explanation. However, at the end of the day, the authorities made a decision. If the member is implying that the relevant parties who have the responsibility to make the decision have not been carrying out their responsibility properly, that is a serious allegation and one that the member should take further.
(1)-(2) The minister has given a clear explanation of what approvals were sought and what took place. I understand he said the timber that was cleared is still on the site for anyone to inspect. Mr McGinty: That just shows how dumb he is. Dr Gallop: Some of it was native vegetation. Mr COURT: No, it is timber that the minister had planted, so members should not talk about native vegetation. This road verge was cleared three years ago. The minister went to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and got approval to do the clearing. He has given a clear explanation. However, at the end of the day, the authorities made a decision. If the member is implying that the relevant parties who have the responsibility to make the decision have not been carrying out their responsibility properly, that is a serious allegation and one that the member should take further.
Mr McGinty: That just shows how dumb he is. Dr Gallop: Some of it was native vegetation. Mr COURT: No, it is timber that the minister had planted, so members should not talk about native vegetation. This road verge was cleared three years ago. The minister went to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and got approval to do the clearing. He has given a clear explanation. However, at the end of the day, the authorities made a decision. If the member is implying that the relevant parties who have the responsibility to make the decision have not been carrying out their responsibility properly, that is a serious allegation and one that the member should take further.
Dr Gallop: Some of it was native vegetation. Mr COURT: No, it is timber that the minister had planted, so members should not talk about native vegetation. This road verge was cleared three years ago. The minister went to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and got approval to do the clearing. He has given a clear explanation. However, at the end of the day, the authorities made a decision. If the member is implying that the relevant parties who have the responsibility to make the decision have not been carrying out their responsibility properly, that is a serious allegation and one that the member should take further.
Mr COURT: No, it is timber that the minister had planted, so members should not talk about native vegetation. This road verge was cleared three years ago. The minister went to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and got approval to do the clearing. He has given a clear explanation. However, at the end of the day, the authorities made a decision. If the member is implying that the relevant parties who have the responsibility to make the decision have not been carrying out their responsibility properly, that is a serious allegation and one that the member should take further.
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