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An ACT parliamentary inquiry has called the suite of people involved in the Land Development Agency's land deals at Glebe Park and the lake front to give evidence. The inquiry has the power to compel people to appear, and has reminded the people involved of that power, in letters sent last week. The inquiry follows a damning report from Auditor-General Maxine Cooper last year, in which Dr Cooper found the agency's purchase of three properties lacked transparency, accountability and rigour, and their integrity and probity could not be demonstrated. Inquiry chairwoman Vicki Dunne said the committee had written to 15 people involved - all those mentioned in Dr Cooper's report whom it had been able to contact - and asked them to give evidence at public hearings in September. "We have invited them, but we have the power to compel people to come if we think it's necessary that we hear from people and they don't want to comply," Mrs Dunne said. "The findings in this auditor-general's report are serious and we believe that the quantity of public money involved and the issues raised by the auditor-general warrant a full-blown inquiry." The inquiry has also invited public submissions by June 30. The land deals under scrutiny are: The lakeside land was bought to make way for the City to the Lake redevelopment. The Glebe Park land was bought so a stormwater pond could be moved from Parkes Way, allowing the road to be straightened for the sale of adjacent land. Part of the Glebe Park land was also expected to be onsold to the casino for its $300 million revamp. The audit report also questioned the relationship between the Land Development Agency and consulting firm Elleven, which earned $2.66 million without competitive quotes. Elleven is associated with a former City to the Lake project director. Dr Cooper said Elleven had been approached by the Land Development Agency and asked to employ two former executives so they could continue working for the agency as consultants. When Elleven's contract ended in late 2015, one of the former executives went back to the agency, and last year was with Griffin Brooks consulting, still working on agency projects. Mrs Dunne has not named the individuals that have been called by her public accounts committee inquiry. The chief executive and deputy chief executive of the Land Development Agency at the time were David Dawes and Dan Stewart. Mr Stewart left to Elton Consulting in mid 2015. Mr Dawes ends his public service career when the agency winds up on July 1. The committee is made up of two Labor and two Liberal members, so relies on the willingness of Labor to get to the bottom of the affair. People called to give evidence are allowed to have advice from lawyers but they are not allowed to have lawyers or anyone else give evidence on their behalf. Earlier this month, a separate inquiry into annual reports called on the government to review and correct contradictory and confusing evidence from Land Development Agency officials on the deals.The Greens' Caroline Le Couteur described the evidence as "confusing and disturbing at the very least" and amounting to "Abbott and Costello level comedy".

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