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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 8 Hansard (26 June) . . Page.. 2289 ..

MS MacDONALD (continuing):

Mr Speaker, the Liberal opposition is a team of gunnas. If they are not careful they will find themselves in a copyright battle with the Arsenal Football Club, who believe they have the naming rights to the Gunners.

The Liberal government had six years to do something about many of the problems facing Canberra and Brindabella residents, but did nothing. Repeating Mr Smyth's mantra "we were gunna; we were gunna" does not deliver results, but the Stanhope government investing money and solving problems does.

Good news was bad news last week, as far as Mr Smyth and Mr Pratt were concerned. The people of Brindabella do not think so. In this week's Tuggeranong Chronicle, there is a quote from the president of the Tuggeranong Community Council, Rosemary Lissimore, who said that the announcement was terrific for the area. Mrs Lissimore said, "We have waited so long." If the Liberals were still in government, Mrs Lissimore, like the rest of Brindabella, would still be waiting. Mr Smyth and the Liberals do not want to hear the good news though. As far as they are concerned, every silver lining has a dark cloud.

The Stanhope government has gone at a furious pace to deliver election promises to Brindabella. Mr Hargreaves touched on many initiatives during his speech. So extensive was his list that I believe many in this place thought it was exhaustive.

Would you believe, Mr Speaker, that the 2002-03 budget delivers even more to the Brindabella community? A couple of not insignificant items that Mr Hargreaves failed to mention include capital works on the Tuggeranong Leisure Centre pool filtration system worth $220,000; $11 million worth of work on the Athllon Drive under the traffic congestion and road safety improvement program, and the Kambah Village refurbishment will be given $1.5 million out of Canberra Urban Parks and Places.

In 2001, the Labor Party went to the people of Brindabella and Canberra with a set of promises, which we have kept and delivered. For the first time in the history of self-government, voters in a five-member seat elected a third candidate from a party. It is my very great honour and privilege to be the fortunate candidate elected to serve the people of Brindabella. I do so because the Brindabella community gave such strong endorsement to the Labor team-strong endorsement that I remind Mrs Dunne and Ms Dundas that their respective parties did not receive.

Both those members have stood up here today and claimed that certain motions have been a waste of time. Well, Mr Speaker, I believe half of Mrs Dunne's questions in this place are a waste of time but we take them on board anyway.

At 5.00 pm, in accordance with standing order 34, the debate was interrupted. The motion for the adjournment of the Assembly having been put and negatived, the debate was resumed.

MS MacDONALD: That is extremely poor form and indicative of why the Liberals were rejected in a record swing last year, and why-Ms Dundas-no Democrat candidates were elected in Brindabella. In fact, my primary vote was more than the combined Democrat vote in Brindabella.

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