Page 1960 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 25 June 2008
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
this terrific investment opportunity for Canberra into a political debate, Mr Pratt—you, Mr Deputy Speaker—was out there publicly opposing the proposal. I was there with you, Mr Deputy Speaker, at the ActewAGL community meeting in Tuggeranong, where you, Mr Pratt, an Isaacs resident and the member for Brindabella—Mr Seselja’s colleague—stood up and said that you did not support the proposal for a data centre and gas-fired power station at Tuggeranong. You have reiterated that again here today. Mr Deputy Speaker, you said: “I reiterate what I said at the meeting. I told the Tuggeranong community meeting that I emphatically rejected the plan.”
Opposition members interjecting—
Mr Corbell: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker: those opposite continue to interject. I note that you have called government members to order on a number of occasions. I would ask you to call your colleagues on the opposition benches to order also.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Corbell, are you concerned that there is no balance here today in the chairing of this area?
Mr Corbell: It was a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you; very nice of you. Mr Gentleman, resume your remarks.
MR GENTLEMAN: Thank you, Mr Pratt. I was going to your comments at the Tuggeranong community meeting when you said, “I emphatically reject the plan.” You reiterated that earlier in the chamber. Some may be a little confused as this contradicts Mr Pratt’s current position. Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to table a copy of your flyer.
Leave granted.
MR GENTLEMAN: I table the following paper:
Proposed gas fired power station and data centre—Copy of Power station debacle—Flyer by Mr Pratt.
It is a flyer that you distributed in the Brindabella electorate, saying that you will protect the people and the project. Mr Deputy Speaker, which way are you going with this? Do you support the proposal as outlined in the flyer or do you not, as you have openly stated at the Tuggeranong community meeting and reiterated today? Again, where was the Leader of the Opposition while this was going on? Most likely at his Macarthur home, getting ready for the estimates.
Let me clarify: we have the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Molonglo, who lives in Macarthur, saying diddly-squat, and we have the member for Brindabella, Mr Pratt, representing the Liberal Party, who lives in Isaacs, publicly opposing the proposal. So when did we finally hear from Mr Seselja? It was, indeed, at the estimates committee when he questioned the Chief Minister over and over again, looking for some political gain on the issue. When he found none, he called on the
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .