The federal Coalition is trying to overrule the ACT's drug decriminaisation

ACT members of the Legislative Assembly are not happy about the Coalition's plans to overrule the territory's laws.

Transcript

00:00 Well, another day, another attack on territory rights by the Federal Coalition.

00:04 It was only yesterday that the Senate rejected Senator Canavan's attempt to intervene in

00:09 relation to the compulsory acquisition of Calvary Public Hospital to build a billion

00:15 dollar hospital for the people of the ACT.

00:17 And today Senator Cash is introducing another bill that threatens and undermines the ACT's

00:24 rights to govern for itself.

00:27 This bill, make no mistake, has Mr Hanson's fingerprints all over it, just as Senator

00:31 Canavan's did.

00:32 And the problem for the Canberra Liberals is that this bill highlights the massive divide

00:38 within the Canberra Liberals.

00:40 We have a leader and a deputy leader who disagree on policy, who disagree on tactics, and who

00:44 fundamentally disagree on territory rights.

00:47 I know Ms Lee will be out here saying the Canberra Liberals support territory rights,

00:52 but we also know that Mr Hanson was walking the corridors of the Senate in relation to

00:56 Senator Canavan's bill and encouraging that bill to go ahead, alongside former Senator

01:01 Seselja.

01:02 So, Ms Lee will say one thing, Mr Hanson's fingerprints are all over Senator Cash's

01:08 bill.

01:09 The Canberra Liberals are very clear about our position in support of territory rights,

01:14 and I would always be very concerned about any steps to diminish that.

01:18 But let's be brutally honest, the issue at stake here is a rotten piece of law that this

01:24 Labor-Greens government took to the election under stealth.

01:28 There is no doubt about that.

01:30 Rachel Stevenson's own words indicate that that was her plan all along.

01:36 I think Canberrans have every right to be concerned and feel betrayed about how this

01:41 Labor-Greens government has done this, and that is not in question.

01:46 When these laws were introduced, the Canberra Liberals opposed them.

01:52 We oppose them now, and we are committed to repealing the laws in government.

01:58 That is without question.

02:00 So the real question really is about this Labor-Greens government and their underhanded

02:04 tactics to treat the Canberra community with disdain and disregard and disrespect, in bringing

02:13 these laws in through back channels, in order to thwart proper government processes.

02:20 That is a gross breach of the privileged position that the Minister was in, and she really should

02:28 be ashamed of her decision and path.

02:31 Thank you.

02:31 [BLANK_AUDIO]