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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 8 Hansard (24 August) . . Page.. 2323 ..

the Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 1999-2000 stand referred to the Committee and on the Committee presenting its report to the Assembly resumption of debate on the question "That this Bill be agreed to in principle" be set down as an order of the day for the next sitting;

the foregoing provisions of this resolution so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders.

Mr Speaker, this motion goes to the issue of examining the Appropriation Bill which was put forward at rather short notice this morning. The Government has said that it wants to do things in the way proposed and not in the way that the Bruce Stadium project was done and thereafter be criticised for doing so. The appropriation is made up of two areas of expenditure, one in relation to the V8 Supercar race and the other in relation to the funding of another hospice.

Let me deal first of all with the V8 Supercar race. Superficially, as Labor's spokesperson on tourism and events, I am attracted to the holding of a major event which would attract revenue and jobs for the ACT. But I have to say that in listening to the presentation speech of the Treasurer I had a feeling of deja vu. Amounts were quoted, such as $4.5m for a capital injection, and I wondered whether the Chief Minister will say that there will not be one dollar more. I think I heard her say that in relation to the disgraceful Bruce Stadium debacle. The Treasurer said that there would be an appropriation of $2.5m in the first year as a government payment for the net cost of outputs. I do not believe that, Mr Speaker. I need to have these things examined. Mr Humphries says that the event will create 150 jobs. I hope so. It will have to do something to justify that sort of expenditure.

I want to re-emphasise my earlier position in relation to this matter. If the event produces what the Chief Minister says it will produce, then in many ways it will be a successful event. But my Labor colleagues and I are not able to make a judgment about the appropriation of such an amount of money without having an appropriate scrutiny process. It strikes me that it is extremely important that that scrutiny process occur. I am not sure that that process could be completely fulfilled within the timeframe that we have set. But, lest we be criticised for holding up the process and perhaps putting this opportunity out of reach of the Assembly, we have in mind a timetable that starts with the first meeting of the committee today and, subject to the committee's decision, a meeting on Friday or Monday, or both, between the sittings and report back to the Assembly in order that we can consider the Bill next week in accordance with the Government's timetable. Mr Speaker, that is a very tight timeframe and, to those members who support and might nominate for this committee, I apologise for that, but I think it is necessary in the circumstances.

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