Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 8 Hansard (8 August) . . Page.. 2574 ..

Can the minister tell the Assembly the status of this bottleneck today, given that creditors remain unpaid despite his assurance of 21 June this year?

MR SMYTH: I believe that if Mr Corbell reads the full transcript he will find that that was the advice that I was receiving at that time from the Master Builders Association that was handling the claims of a number of the creditors. I relayed to this place the advice that I was given by the MBA. It is curious, Mr Speaker. You have to put this back into context. We have a Leader of the Opposition who said it was fine for the development to go ahead, and we have the Left of the Labor Party who continually jump to their feet when the barbs sting.

Mr Corbell: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: the question was straightforward. Can the minister tell the Assembly the status of this bottleneck today?

MR SPEAKER: Thank you. I heard the question and the minister has heard the question. The minister will answer the question.

MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, I am leading to the explanation on the bottleneck. The bottleneck now exists in that my understanding is that there are a number of financiers who are interested in the project. When they heard that it had been called in and that it had the support of the Leader of the Opposition, progress began on freeing up the money to make the payments. When they heard that the other section of the Labor Party was causing grief there were some nerves about whether or not it should be funded.

My understanding now is that-

Mr Wood: This is just crap. This is beyond the limit.

MR SPEAKER: Just a moment. Order! This is an important question that is obviously of concern to numbers of creditors in this city.

Mr Wood: And it deserves an answer

MR SPEAKER: I wish to have the question answered, thank you, without interjections.

MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, it is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition cannot control the Left of the party. That is something that I think the people of Canberra will be very afraid of, unless Mr Berry is going to be the leader after the election. I am told that the financials-

Mr Quinlan: You have been sitting next to Gary for too long, mate.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Sorry, minister, again-

Mr Stanhope: I take a point of order.

MR SPEAKER: Look, I am sorry. The minister is attempting to answer an important question, and all I hear from your side is constant interjections. Let's get on with it.

Mr Stanhope: This is important to me too.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .