Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 7 Hansard (20 June) . . Page.. 1971 ..

MR DE DOMENICO (continuing):

Mr Osborne also talked about community consultation. I am aware that the Tuggeranong Community Council was concerned about the fact that they were not consulted. I have not seen one member of that council who is a traffic expert, to be honest with you. We did consult them. It is just that we did not agree with their point of view. There is a difference between consulting and agreeing. The next time that someone on the Tuggeranong Community Council shows me their qualifications as an expert in traffic calming devices, I will sit down and perhaps listen a bit harder than I tend to listen now. Once again, there is a difference between consulting and agreeing with the people you consult with. Ultimately, it is governments that make the final decisions. I am suggesting once again that, if people are not satisfied with the decisions that governments make, from time to time they have access to the ballot box to express their dissatisfaction or satisfaction.

I agree with Mr Osborne that it is about time that we got a Tuggeranong police station. I can assure you, Mr Osborne, that as a member for Brindabella I will be doing all I can to make sure that the Government does not renege on its promise. I feel sure you will agree that this Government has not reneged on any of the promises it made prior to the last election. In summary, I agree that it is a pity that we cannot come forward with all of the capital works projects that we put forward in advance. We have taken on board all of the recommendations of Mr Moore's committee along those lines. We welcome those recommendations and I feel sure that the things we have in place will make sure that it does not happen again in the future.

MR MOORE (11.30), in reply: I thank members who spoke today and those who spoke previously in the debate. Mr Speaker, when a committee works on producing a report of this kind and there is a positive response from the Government, it is welcomed. One of the major issues that have come up through this process is to ensure that money that is put aside for capital works is actually spent on capital works; that the capital works budget does not become a slush fund which winds up backing up the Government's failure to carry through its budget. A slush fund, as I use the term, clearly is the money set aside in the Treasurer's Advance. That is the money set aside for unforeseen circumstances. We recognise that there will always be unforeseen budgetary circumstances, Mr Speaker; but if the Government feels that $12m is not appropriate to cover the unforeseen circumstances it should go through the budget process and ask this Assembly for further money.

A series of changes have had an impact on capital works, including the financial management legislation that has passed through here, and we will see some differences. It will be interesting, Mr Speaker, for the committee to look at capital works next year in that light, and also to see what has been done in terms of capital works. I think we will see a greater role for the committee in looking back at what has been completed, what was done within time, and what projects have been put in place as the supplementary projects that the Government has agreed should be funded where some major project has not gone ahead.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .