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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 6 Hansard (1 September) . . Page.. 1629 ..

MR KAINE: Through you, Mr Speaker, I address a question to the Minister for Urban Services. Minister, on 26 May this year I asked you about a significant black spot road safety project, which is to put a roundabout at the intersection of the Monaro Highway, Tharwa Drive and Johnson Drive in Tuggeranong. At the time you did not have the answer, but to do you credit you did come back the next day to tell me that that was due, to quote your words, "to be operational by February next year". Minister, I come through that intersection every morning and, as of this morning, there was no sign of any activity whatsoever. Minister, do you still stand by your advice only in May that this would be operational by February next year, or was this just another commitment that you entered into with no intention of meeting it?

MR SMYTH: The design is currently being completed, and construction work is scheduled to start in early 1999.

MR KAINE: I ask a supplementary question. Minister, you told me only in May that it was due to be operational in February. Can you now tell me when you intend to start and when it will become operational? This is only 1 September.

MR SMYTH: The design is being completed and construction work will commence in early 1999 and will be finished as expeditiously as possible.

MR QUINLAN: This probably hardly qualifies as a question without notice. I refer to reports that substantial portions of the scoping review into ACTTAB - - -

Mr Hird: Who is it to, Ted?

Ms Carnell: We need to know who is going to answer it.

MR QUINLAN: The Chief Minister. You are the one with the brief written out, are you not? I refer to reports that substantial portions of the scoping review into ACTTAB are either similar or identical to a report prepared for the Northern Territory TAB. In fact, there are 38 out of 73 pages where this plagiarism occurs. Can the Chief Minister rationalise to this Assembly the Government engaging consultants to prepare a report on ACTTAB that looks like it was based on the outcomes of the Northern Territory study?

MS CARNELL: I am very pleased to be able to answer that question because of the enormously unfair statements that those opposite have made about a reputable company and, I assume, will make again a little bit later today in the MPI debate. The Government is aware that there are similarities between the reports PKF Consulting Australia Pty Ltd prepared for the Northern Territory and the ACT governments on the Northern Territory TAB and ACTTAB. In fact, those similarities were discussed in the round table, so it is not any big new surprise.

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