Page 618 - Week 03 - Thursday, 15 March 2007
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on urban Canberra from the bushfires of January 2003, despite the clear evidence that it was. Will you table by close of business today the briefing paper to cabinet prepared by Mike Castle and Tim Keady warning of a “potential serious impact” to the urban area and listing the “urban edge” as an asset under threat?
Will you also table by close of business today the other documents created for and resulting from the briefing? Finally, will you also table cabinet minute decision 0516 noting arrangements for the declaration of a state of emergency and the need to recall cabinet if decisions had to be made about the future of assets?
MR STANHOPE: As members are aware, these matters were all matters dealt with extensively by the coroner through her four-year and $10 million inquest. Those documents I believe were all provided to the coroner. I do not intend to now expend government resources again on a matter that has been concluded by the coroner, presumably to her satisfaction. So the answer is no.
MR STEFANIAK: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Given that parts of those documents were referred to by the coroner but are not otherwise available, why will you not table them? Why are you hiding, given that you will not table the information that will allow the community to judge for itself what the cabinet was told?
MR STANHOPE: As I said, I believe all of those documents were made available to the coroner. I presume they are available through the court. I refer the Leader of the Opposition to the transcript and documents available from the court.
Government services
MS MacDONALD: My question is to Mr Stanhope in his capacity as Chief Minister and Treasurer. Can the Treasurer inform the Assembly of the value of the ACT economy in ensuring continued provision of quality services to the people of the ACT?
MR STANHOPE: I am very happy to do that, Mr Speaker. As people—at least the community at large—are aware, the government continues to provide a very high-quality service to all the people of the ACT. I thank Ms MacDonald for the question in relation to issues around service delivery and matters of importance to the people of the ACT. As we know, and as we saw revealed again today, we are halfway through March of 2007 and we are yet to receive from the opposition spokesperson on health a single question on health. We are halfway through March and we are yet to hear from the shadow minister for education a question on education. The shadow minister for education is out there waving the flag on education and the importance of this particular issue to the people of the ACT—
MR SPEAKER: Order! Chief Minister, come to the subject matter of the question, please.
MR STANHOPE: I think it is relevant that the ACT government is committed to and focused on service delivery. But, unfortunately, these are not issues of concern to the opposition. We saw it again today at the start of question time. The government, of
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