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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 3 Hansard (28 May) . . Page.. 763 ..

Mr Corbell: Payable by the Territory.

MR STANHOPE: Paid for by the Territory. We also know that the Territory met significant other costs. We know, for a start, that it met costs of $9,800 in the drafting of the agreement. We can assume that this Territory has probably expended, in terms of time of its servants and its organisations, another $150,000 or so. This deal has cost the ACT taxpayer probably $300,000 so far. We have had admitted to us costs of $150,000. It is quite likely that there are other costs of $150,000 which could be attributed to the arrangement.

We are not talking about peanuts here. We are talking about maybe $300,000. And we are asked to believe that Mr Whitcombe rang up and said, "Oh, look, chaps, I think I might have misled you a little bit. I did not have any authority to negotiate over those two leases. I know these two leases are completely irrelevant to the program, but I should have told you. I am chucking in the towel. I am giving up my millions". (Extension of time granted) The bottom line is that, if that is the case, if he has rolled over and thrown in the towel, this Government must seek advice from the Government Solicitor on Mr Whitcombe's legal responsibility for breaching this contract in the way the Government alleges he breached it. If, as the Government says, Mr Whitcombe has breached this contract, this Government must take advice on whether he is legally liable for the $300,000 or so that this project has cost the ACT taxpayer.

In conclusion - and I could go on and on, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker - I refute the suggestion that there is no concern within this community about this project. There is serious concern, particularly within the Hall community. I attended a public meeting at Hall a week or so ago. There was outrage at that meeting at what the Government has done. There was outrage that the people of Hall did not know that this agreement had been signed up.

Mr Humphries: You can almost fill a room with people if you stir them up with the wrong information, Mr Stanhope.

MR STANHOPE: There was outrage. In response to Mr Humphries's interjection about stirring up the residents of Hall with wrong information, I seek leave to table notes provided to me today by the president of the Hall and District Progress Association, Mr Kearney, in terms of his efforts at obtaining information. I think they are quite revealing.

Leave granted.

MR STANHOPE: I will conclude shortly, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, and I thank the Assembly for its indulgence in allowing me to continue just a little bit longer. There are a myriad of unanswered questions on this. These are questions that must be answered. The people of Canberra must know why this process was followed. The people of Canberra must know what this has cost and we must know why all our planning systems were pre-empted. We must know why we are bothering to have the inquiry that PALM is currently conducting if, as the Chief Minister interjected in question time today - - -

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