Page 3482 - Week 09 - Thursday, 21 August 2008
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capital works program. Agencies have certainty of base funding allocations and are able to more effectively plan procurement activities around this considerable component of the program.
Just a few short weeks ago, I announced that the government would draw up an infrastructure plan to set out the longer term priorities facing the territory. The infrastructure plan will establish longer term priorities for most of the coming decade, including major investments that could be achieved in partnership with the commonwealth once Infrastructure Australia had investigated and determined projects of national significance.
The drawing up of a longer term infrastructure plan will help future governments to properly schedule works according to their priority and according to how they fit in with other major private and public works. The development of the infrastructure plan will build on and complement our billion-dollar investment in infrastructure announced in the 2008-09 budget. Building the future sets out the most urgent infrastructure priorities which the government believes deserve investment over the coming five years. The infrastructure plan will be updated annually to allow it to remain flexible and responsive to emerging priorities.
My government’s ability to plan and deliver infrastructure projects speaks for itself: record planning for capital works and record spending on capital works. Why those opposite, whose record on infrastructure planning and delivery was nothing short of a disaster, would raise this topic of infrastructure continues to amaze me. Canberrans will not quickly forget the Bruce Stadium fiasco—the blow-outs, the deception, the freshly-painted green grass. The people of Canberra remember that that is how the Liberals plan and deliver infrastructure. When the people of Canberra think of “infrastructure” and “Liberal” in the same sentence, they immediately think of Bruce Stadium.
Mr Gentleman: They can feel the power now!
MR STANHOPE: That is right. When they think of Bruce Stadium, they immediately think “fiasco”. It is one of those little word tests: when this words is said, what do you think? When you test people with the word “Liberal”, they think “fiasco”. “Liberal Party”—“Bruce Stadium”. “Power—they think “Liberal fiasco”. “Jujitsu”—they think “Liberal fiasco”. “Impulse Airlines”—they think “Liberal fiasco”. And so it goes on. It is quite amazing how many words we can use in Canberra in those word game competitions to which the automatic and immediate response is “Liberal fiasco”. “Hospital implosion”—“Liberal fiasco”; “Bruce Stadium”—“Liberal fiasco”; “Impulse Airlines”—“Liberal fiasco”. And so it goes on: “Williamsdale quarry”—“Liberal fiasco” et cetera. I always like these debates and motions on infrastructure because of the imagery they always manage to create. We know about the Liberal Party and capital. We know about the Liberal Party’s capacity to plan and deliver.
Looking to the future, this government is continuing to plan and deliver an unprecedented investment in the territory’s infrastructure. The $1 billion building the future program is over and above the normal annual capital works program. It is not a substitution; it is in addition to the normal program. This is part of the government’s strategy to increase the productive capacity of the economy, ensure that infrastructure
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