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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 5 Hansard (8 May) . . Page.. 1714 ..
MR QUINLAN (continuing):
economically dry forum. From all of those people, all of those areas, and with the dimension of those comments-from the community centre through to the dry economists-this budget gets a big tick. I have to say that I think it deserves it.
Mr Smyth: My mother always said that self-praise is no recommendation.
MR HARGREAVES: I will just wait until Mr Cornwell can hear the actual question, because he is not listening to me. Can the Treasurer advise the Assembly if he heard comments from the Leader of the Opposition that he would broaden the tax base in the ACT if he were in government?
MR QUINLAN: Thank you, Mr Hargreaves, for that question. Following on from Mr Smyth's last interjection, I wonder if his mother also said that flattery is the sincerest form of appreciation or praise-
Mr Smyth: No, mum did not believe in flattery.
MR QUINLAN: -because broadening the tax base is an issue that I have spoken about on many occasions in many forums. Not only have I spoken about it but I am working on it, and I can provide some specifics about the work we are doing with the New South Wales government to look at the economic region. There are some real positives there compared to the shallower approach of the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Speaker, I think on all counts-even, by inference, Mr Smyth's-this budget receives a big tick.
Gungahlin Drive extension
MR CORNWELL
: My question is to Mr Corbell. Minister, in this place on 25 June last year you took issue with the previous government's allocation of funding for the Gungahlin Drive extension, saying that you had had departmental advice that the $32 million was out of date and would build only what you called, and I quote, "a road to nowhere". We now see, in this year's budget, that the allocation for the same road is, surprise, surprise, the same $32 million.Minister, if that figure was out of date last year and applicable, as you said, to a road at 1997 prices, why is it not even more out of date now? Can you tell the Assembly what sort of road you propose to build-you might alert the residents of Gungahlin too-and why your road will not also be a road to nowhere?
MR CORBELL: The simple answer is that there is an additional $21 million in the budget to pay for the duplication of Caswell Drive to the Glenloch interchange. That means that you have a complete road, not half a road, which is where you get the $32 million.
Mr Quinlan: I request that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.
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