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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 12 Hansard (7 December) . . Page.. 3856 ..

MR SPEAKER: Thank you. Mr Berry, you seek leave to speak on the matter?

MR BERRY: Yes, I will just speak on the matter. I ask for leave to speak.

Leave granted.

MR BERRY: I went through all of these as quick as a flash, to try to find something that might be of relevance to this debate, and glaring in my face was the Belconnen pool. It stands out. It looks as though it has little neon lights around it, blinking, like those ones you put on your Christmas trees. The project value was $8.2 million. How much has been spent? $170,000 and no hole in the ground yet, except for those puddle holes that were created by the sod turnings. The little tadpoles are out there still enjoying those.

This is a signal that more needs to be done. I know the minister has said the people of Belconnen are unlikely to be swimming in their pool by the next election, but if this government fails to deliver that promise this minister will not get a chance to open it, because I am sure that the -

Mr Wood: He will not anyway.

MR BERRY: Well, he will not get a chance to swim in it as a member of this Assembly, because I can tell you the people of Belconnen are going to be pretty sour about this particular promise, given the number of times it has been made. This promise has been made more times than some people have had hot breakfasts, and still we have not seen a hole in the ground that is capable of holding a reasonable amount of water to swim in.

$170,000. I do not know where it has gone. Perhaps it went on buying chrome - plated spades and getting the tractor down there for the last big stunt where there was some soil thrown around. There is still nothing down there that looks like a swimming pool.

I just ask members that, if they happen to be driving down that way where the pool is supposed to go, and they see some poor soul wandering around looking for the swimming pool, they should just duck over and put that person out of his or her misery, and say, "It has not been built yet. You will have to go into town."

Mr Smyth presented the following papers:

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