Page 1046 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 2 May 2006
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Mr Costello might have said in response to that question asked by a member of the Labor Party in the House of Representatives. Just imagine the response. Actually, it is interesting, isn’t it, to dwell on this issue?
Mrs Burke: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker, on relevance to the supplementary question. I just asked the Chief Minister why he had been selectively giving some organisations briefings and not community organisations. Can he get back to the supplementary?
MR SPEAKER: Order! I think it is relevant to make some comparisons on these issues.
MR STANHOPE: Let us pause and reflect. It is relevant for us to reflect—I might gain some insight here—on a member of the Labor Party in the House of Representatives standing up today and asking Peter Costello why he did not brief the ACTU on the contents of his budget. Just imagine the response that Peter Costello would give to a question asked of him: which unions did you arrange to be briefed on issues that you have taken into consideration in the preparation of your budget? It is informative, in the context of the approach that the Liberal Party takes to this particular issue of a cabinet-in-confidence technical document and report, prepared specifically for a budget cabinet deliberation, to ponder or contemplate that. You cannot even imagine an opposition in any other parliament in Australia asking the question. Any other politician in any other opposition in any other parliament in Australia would blush with the shame of a question foisted on them by their leader of the opposition: “Just stand up and ask the Treasurer: will he release all the cabinet-in-confidence documents on which the budget was based?”
Mrs Burke: One in the face, isn’t it?
MR STANHOPE: It must be embarrassing, Mrs Burke, to be directed by your leader to embarrass or demean yourself in this way; to be required to stand up and say, “Treasurer, will you just slip us a copy of all the cabinet-in-confidence documents that you’ve utilised in putting together your budget.” Put yourself in the House of Representatives; imagine a member of an opposition in the House of Representatives asking a federal Treasurer: “Will you just slip us all your cabinet documents on the budget that you’re just about to release?” Can you imagine it!
Gungahlin Drive extension
MS MacDONALD: My question is to the Minister for the Territory and Municipal Services. Minister, can you tell the Assembly what progress is being made on the Gungahlin Drive extension? Why was it necessary to close Ginninderra Drive last weekend?
Opposition members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order! Contain yourselves.
Mr Smyth: It is hard, Mr Speaker.
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