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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 5 Hansard (11 May) . . Page.. 1519 ..

MR QUINLAN (continuing):

Leave granted.

MR QUINLAN: The background to this subject goes back to February 1999 when the predecessor of this current committee discussed with the Auditor-General the desirability of a performance audit on the redevelopment of Bruce Stadium. This was emerging as a genuine issue that far back. Quite clearly the audit would cover a wide range of matters, given that it was a large project and a project that depended upon some marketing research and consequent decisions.

As a result of that, the committee became concerned that there had been an inordinate delay in that report reaching the Assembly, and we became concerned, not just that it took so long, but that there were in fact rumours abroad, within the community, that the process of the production of the audit report had been delayed by the intervention of legal representation and further that-

MR SPEAKER: Excuse me. I am sorry to interrupt, Mr Quinlan. Would you mind asking for leave to address the Assembly? You asked for leave to table a statement but not to address the house.

MR QUINLAN: I did ask for leave also to talk to it, did I not?

MR SPEAKER: Just ask for leave. It will be granted.

MR QUINLAN: Bully. I ask for leave to speak to the paper rather than to read it.

Leave granted.

MR QUINLAN: Thank you. Do you want me to start again? We were concerned that rumour was rife that it was effectively guns and lawyers at 50 paces and, further, also concerned that quite a number of people who had no direct relationship to the project seemed to know a lot about the contents of the audit report or the draft findings. In fact, names of people who may be affected by the report were being bandied around. With that in mind, we rather thought that we should try to assist, wherever we can, the Auditor-General to bring the report to as hasty a conclusion as was possible.

We have spoken to the Auditor-General. He has informed us that the audit report that he is preparing will contain 12 parts: 11 different issues and matters, and a summary of the total. He has informed us that many of those reports are interrelated and interdependent, and so it is not possible for any of them to be issued without the others. He has indicated that, at this stage, he believes that he will conclude the audit and be in a position to table the audit report possibly some time in July. However, given the winter recess of this place under current legislation and standing orders, it could not be tabled until the end of August.

The Auditor has advised us that there actually have been two major reasons for the extra time taken. One is, quite obviously, the complexity of what he is looking at, and the second is his desire to adhere to the nth degree to provisions of natural justice. In relation to the complexity of the matter, he certainly has informed us that, on the first round of investigations, in many areas he was given information, drew some conclusions, allowed

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