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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 4 Hansard (7 May) . . Page.. 1046 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

Secondly, the blockade is in protest at the Carnell Government hypocrisy in letting a contract for the demolition and removal of the buildings at Royal Canberra Hospital to a company from Newcastle. This company intended to use its own trucks and employees from Newcastle to complete the work.

Quite simply: the issue is the loss of approximately 2 million dollars to Newcastle. At a time when local companies could easily handle the work and would welcome the work Mrs Carnell has shafted small business once again.

The CFMEU advises:

The CFMEU does not have a dispute with the TWU and we requested to have a meeting with the Chief Minister (which was refused ...) to deal with the issue of employing local people.

Mr Speaker, I seek leave to table those two letters.

Leave granted.

MR BERRY: What is clear from these letters is that the real reason the picket is on is that the contractor is refusing to use local tipper operators, who are desperate for work because of your failed economic policies, Mrs Carnell. Is it not true that you have either deliberately or recklessly misled this Assembly? Furthermore, will you accept that the industrial action at Acton Peninsula is because of your indifference to the needs of the ACT community? While you have been lecturing Mr Fahey and Mr Howard about Commonwealth outsourcing, your own Government contracts are creating jobs for people interstate. Is it not true, Chief Minister, that you have either recklessly or deliberately misled this Assembly?

MRS CARNELL: I think Mr Berry dictated very well to his mates in the union movement, Mr Speaker. The facts of this situation are quite clear. I have to say that I have not been approached by any of these people to have a meeting with me, certainly to my knowledge and, from the look on my staff's faces, to theirs. Similarly, we do not know anything about a request for a meeting. I certainly have no letters from them. I wonder who might possibly be stretching the truth here a bit. Mr Speaker, the Government does condemn the disputation caused by the TWU on demolition work on the Acton Peninsula. I think it is important to start looking at the facts here. City and Country is undertaking work to remove fittings from the main tower block and Sylvia Curley House prior to the actual demolition of these buildings - a job won through a public tender process.

Mr Berry: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: I do not think the Chief Minister heard my question. I asked her specifically: Is it true that you have either deliberately or recklessly misled the Assembly by claiming that there was a demarcation dispute? Furthermore, I asked the Chief Minister to accept that the industrial action at Acton Peninsula was because of her indifference to the needs of the ACT community. I also raised the question of why - - -

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