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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 7 Hansard (2 July) . . Page.. 2246 ..

MS CARNELL (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (11.00), in reply: Rather than debate this issue at length, I table for the information of members the sign-off on this Bill by the Auditor-General. Those opposite actually have it.

Mr Humphries: We have sucked him in, too!

MS CARNELL: We must have. This information runs through the figures that are part of this legislation. The Bill we are talking about here does have a sign-off on the figures by the Auditor-General, an independent arbiter. Those opposite had those figures, so any indication that they do not understand the figures or that the figures do not make sense means that they are too stupid to understand them or that they are just playing politics. They are obviously just playing politics. I do not think anything else needs to be said.

MR OSBORNE: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to speak to the Bill. I missed the jump.

Leave granted.

MR SPEAKER: Be a bit faster on your feet, please, Mr Osborne.

MR OSBORNE: That is exactly what coach Tim Sheens said to me, and that is why I am in politics, Mr Speaker. I am too slow on my feet. This Bill is probably the most important aspect of the whole Bruce Stadium debate. It makes sure that we appropriate the money that was spent. The most important principle of the whole saga was ensuring that the Government came back to the Assembly and retrospectively sought approval from the Assembly for the spending of the money in two financial years.

This Bill is in keeping with the legal advice that I received and the Labor Party spoke so highly of the other day, so I will be supporting the Bill. I think the principle is important. The Government has come back before the Assembly and sought approval from the Assembly.

Mr Quinlan: Does it represent any forgiveness?

MR OSBORNE: It represents the figures that have been spent. That is what this Bill is. That is what we are debating. You are the accountant of the year, and you do not understand what this Bill is.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.

Question put:

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