Page 962 - Week 03 - Thursday, 14 March 1991
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Mr Connolly: We accept that, but it is the three or four months of payments that are the problem.
MR DUBY: That is not the case with Hunt Boilers. It was not the last three or four months; it was the last month's payments that were the difficulty. It should also be pointed out in relation to the Hunt Boilers problem that the contract for the Hunt Boilers job was in place before the Shelleys group got into difficulties and went into liquidation. In other words, this contract had been in place before the procedures that I had introduced as a correction, or as a method of streamlining the processes of payments to companies, were introduced as a result of the Shelleys collapse. All subcontractors for the Hunt Boilers contract had been advised publicly to be involved in the contract.
The other thing Mr Connolly mentioned was that we should be following some steps as, for example, the Queensland legislation. I am pleased to say that we are doing that. The Queensland legislation is currently being examined by the public works forum. As a final point, he mentioned the fact that we should be taking out some form of insurance. I guess it should be pointed out that the mortgage insurance that Mr Connolly put up as an example of what could be introduced does not apply to contractors; it applies to people who are taking out mortgages; it applies to house purchasers, not to the builders.
So, all in all, I think the points raised by this supposed matter of public importance are frankly quite spurious, and I just hope that Mrs Grassby can perhaps show us in the Government where the problems are arising, because Mr Connolly did not.
MRS GRASSBY (4.16): I do not know whether Mr Duby is going to be any happier with my speech, but as far as I am concerned I think Mr Connolly did hit the nail on the head. Let me start by making the point that the constructive measures highlighted in Mr Connolly's speech on this matter are what relevant and accountable government is all about.
Mr Jensen: It must have had a small head.
MRS GRASSBY: Mr Jensen, anybody who told you that you were a big thinker obviously lisped. I cannot be on my feet for five minutes before you have a go at me; it is incredible.
This is what accountable government is all about, or, more to the point, should be all about, because those opposite lack both the interest and the foresight in this fundamentally important area to have done anything constructive. This is why the public works contracting system is in such a shambles in this Territory. This is why the Labor Party has brought this issue before this Assembly as a matter of public importance.
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