Page 2341 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 28 June 2005
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from the ACT government’s proposed budget. The government’s projections are simply unrealistic. The redeveloped Hunter Valley Gardens, which the Chief Minister said he had visited, cost an estimated $45 million on basic preparatory work, yet the government has begun by talking of $12 million being sufficient to create a world-class international arboretum which would be 10 times the size of the Hunter Valley Gardens. If that is not enough, we have to race off to Canada to have a look at a garden so we can say, “Well, we have now seen the best in the world.”
We hear concerns about utilisation of scarce water resources for this facility. The minister suggested that that could all be solved and that there would not be a problem due to the arrangements at the site, but I have to say that there is a high level of scepticism. There are many other areas in the environmental area in which these funds could be used. My colleagues may well deal with some of that.
We also heard a fascinating dissertation about the communication staff in the ACT government. The figures were all over the shop and there was some rather contradictory evidence provided. We seem to have about 30 people in the communications unit. I would like to use another term but it is probably not appropriate. I will be kind in this regard.
Mrs Dunne: Were you going to say “propaganda unit”?
MR MULCAHY: I would not like to say that all the people are involved purely in propaganda but I am certainly concerned at the way this unit seems to be heading. Certainly when the witness appeared before our committee, he struggled to justify much of what was going on.
The dragway remains an ongoing issue. A number of members on this side of the house have expressed their concern over the supposed commitment in this regard. It appears that, whereas we talk about the construction costs varying and say that rising costs of construction should all be taken into account, no way is that going to happen in relation to the dragway. It is $8 million if they can settle on the site. If people do not like it, they are quite happy to abandon it and the Chief Minister, as you will see if you look at Hansard, basically expressed a “couldn’t care less attitude” to that whole project.
Other areas came under our review, such as the Actew Corporation and the largesse there enjoyed by their friend, Mr Costello. Not only is he on $450,000 a year but there was a further revelation in questions last week that there is a performance bonus as well. Wouldn’t we love to know what the performance bonus is! People in the Canberra community were absolutely staggered to hear these figures come out. I am quite sure members opposite had reactions as well, as did I, because the reaction was significant. People hear that there is a man sitting at the top of a corporation with 13 staff. When I asked, “Why do we really need your outfit?” He said, “Well, I mean, someone has to do the strategic work.” I have a fair bit of faith in John McKay. I reckon he could go and hire a couple of strategic analysts and still have change out of what it costs to run Mr Costello’s little empire.
There are many areas within the Chief Minister’s Department that we need to tackle. The industrial relations techniques of negotiation were quite entertaining, but for the fact that it makes up such a large part of the ACT budget; you know, the official handling
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