Page 98 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 14 February 1990
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I do not know what to say to this chamber and to the public of Canberra when we are put through this type of fictional process by Mr Whalan. Moreover, this Government is moving quickly to appoint a consultant to do this. The consultant will develop indicative costs of various options for the Government to consider in the 1990-91 capital works program. This is consistent with the earliest time frame that the previous Government would have been able to achieve and in that regard, Mr Speaker, may I quote from the Valley View, 29 November 1989, when the then Minister, Mr Paul Whalan, was quoted as saying in a press release that construction should begin no later than the middle of next year.
We hear and we see in today's Valley View, 14 February 1990, a most extraordinary statement attributed to Mr Whalan, and that is that the pool project was cut from the new Alliance Government's program last month. Clearly Mr Whalan is claiming to be privy to some Cabinet decision. If he is privy to that, then I am afraid he has been misled because the fact of the matter is that it was not cut from any proposal in Cabinet.
A member: It was not on there?
MR COLLAERY: It was not cut at all. I will observe the conventions. I am not going to discuss what the decisions were, but I have said to you that the Government is moving quickly to appoint a consultant to look into the matters affecting the pool. There is no stalling tactic going on and we should not be wasting the time of this Assembly with grandstanding tactics designed to bolster your failing vote in the Tuggeranong area, Mr Whalan.
Mr Jensen: Bill Mackey has got you running scared.
MR COLLAERY: Bill Mackey has you running and you are afraid, of course, that without the mechanism of government behind you you are going to slip into obscurity, and indeed you are.
Mr Whalan: I think this is quite interesting. This indicates the Liberal connection is really firming up.
Ms Follett: Is he your candidate, Bernard?
Mr Whalan: He is your candidate, Bernie - the Residents Rally candidate as well as the Liberal candidate.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MR COLLAERY: Mr Speaker, our Government has given a clear commitment that the pool will be provided. It has a very sensible process in motion to ensure that the facility will be provided as soon as practicable. As a responsible Government the modalities of putting that pool into Tuggeranong must be left for full and proper fiscal considerations and full and proper consideration of the
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