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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 10 Hansard (29 August) . . Page.. 3614 ..

MR MOORE: I can understand their embarrassment. They have been caught out saying that they can do two things which are simply impossible. They cannot have their cake and eat it too. The only credible sites which meet criteria in the same way-

Mr Stanhope: What? You can't be an Independent and a Liberal minister?

MR SPEAKER: I warn you, Mr Stanhope.

MR MOORE: The only credible sites which meet criteria in the same way as Kinlyside close to Gungahlin and a possible site in Hume-

Mr Hargreaves: The Michael Moore Correctional Centre.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves, do you want to join Mr Stanhope in a warning? Just keep it up.

Mr Stanhope: Was I warned?

MR SPEAKER: Yes, you were.

MR MOORE: Kinlyside, which is close to homes in Gungahlin and Hall, and a possible site in Hume close to homes in Tuggeranong are probably even more vulnerable to local scare campaigns than the original site, and both these sites have Territory Plan or National Capital Plan issues which would add months on top of the process I have outlined.

In addition to the extensive and expensive dedication of two years of public service time to search for an alternative site, it would cost an estimated $140,000 in professional fees for the feasibility and preliminary assessment studies. And I have not even added the 5 per cent factor that Mr Smyth correctly raised.

Perhaps at that time a new version of the extensive Rengain study would be asked for, because two years later you would say it was out of date. That might mean another $500,000.

The greatest costs are two more years without a correctional system reformed to address rehabilitation, two more years of prisoners scattered around New South Wales, two more years of prisoners returning to the ACT on release with the consequences of that style of imprisonment adding to the risk of reoffending and two more years-

Mr Hargreaves: And two more years of no Michael Moore.

Mr Corbell: No more years of you.

MR SPEAKER: I warn you, Mr Corbell.

MR MOORE: And two more years of intolerable conditions for the staff and detainees at the old Remand Centre at Belconnen. Labor cannot deny this, because none of the time frames I have described can legitimately be skipped. Ironically-and there is a great irony in this-

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