John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I inform the member for Kingsford Smith that there is nothing under the present law to stop a local government body from holding a plebiscite and using the Australian Electoral Commission on a fee-for-service basis. I also inform the member who sits opposite that, unlike in Queensland where a law has gone through proposing specific council amalgamations, no specific proposals for a nuclear power plant exist anywhere in Australia. The member for Kingsford Smith knows this. It is perfectly open to either of the esteemed municipalities of Waverley—and the member will be very familiar with that municipality—or Randwick, if they so wish, to approach the Australian Electoral Commission on a fee-for-service basis.

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