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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 8 Hansard (26 August) . . Page.. 2446 ..

MRS LITTLEWOOD: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister.

Mr Berry: Mrs Carnell indicates that yes, there was advice before the meeting.

MRS LITTLEWOOD: Mr Speaker, do I have the floor or is Mr Berry still rattling on?

MR SPEAKER: You do.

Ms McRae: Why do you not rattle on? Go on.

MRS LITTLEWOOD: I would like to, but I cannot because Mr Berry is rattling on. I agree with Mr Stefaniak. Shut up, Wayne. My question is to the Chief Minister in her capacity as Chief Minister. I refer to claims made yesterday by the third Leader of the Opposition, Mr "Shut Up, Wayne" Berry, that the total cost of the demolition of buildings on Acton Peninsula had increased to $9.4m, yet again trying to politicise the death of a young girl.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, but again Mr Berry was not correct. This Assembly has recognised that, in Mr Berry, we are blessed to have amongst us Canberra's leading expert on issues such as industrial relations, legal affairs, gaming, racing and private hospitals of course. He is Mr Business as well. But today he becomes Mr Money as well or, shall we say, Mr Shadow Treasurer. Mr Berry has now put himself in charge of the show as shadow Treasurer, even if he does not have a clue. It is his first day in the job, and he gets it wrong. He does not have a clue about financial issues. Nowhere was that more obvious than on his first day out as Labor's financial commentator. Heaven help them!

Mr Berry issued another of his series of classic media statements and claimed that the cost of the Acton demolition had blown out by $3.5m. He based this claim upon a gazettal notice issued in late July which listed four agreements in relation to the demolition. I know Mr Berry wishes now that he had rung my office and asked to check the facts. In keeping with his usual style, he ploughed right ahead regardless. You have to hand it to him, because not once in the last seven years in this place has he actually ever let the facts get in the way of a good story.

For Mr Berry's benefit and for the benefit of those opposite - and those opposite might like to actually listen so that Mr Berry might learn a little now - I would like to explain exactly what is happening with the demolition contracts. I will try to do it really simply and slowly so that Mr Berry can understand. The original budget projection for the demolition was $8.1m. When a project management agreement was signed with Project Coordination, providing for maximum expenditure to this amount, this was published in the Gazette. Again, I say "maximum expenditure".

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