Page 751 - Week 02 - Thursday, 12 February 2009
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We are just left with farcical debating points about the level of government debt, as if that is in no way related to the level of private debt in an economy or the level of foreign debt in an economy. This is a slightly more complex economic situation than Mr Coe presented in his little speech.
Whilst we are on the subject of capital works delivery, all we get coming from the opposition is a series of cheap shots. Anyone can come up with a list. I have got my own of great Liberal Party capital works efforts: Bruce Stadium, Fujitsu, Impulse, the futsal slab, the hospital implosion, the feel the power of Canberra campaign, the V8 supercar fiasco. We have all got lists of perhaps less than successful ACT government projects and investments over time. I have just given a very long list of outstanding successes—I am sure every member of the Liberal opposition will get up and tell us how great they did with all of those—and that was what I came up with in about a minute. I am sure there are lists—
Mr Seselja: One of them wasn’t capital works.
MR BARR: Not all were capital works projects, but they certainly involved the expenditure of government money. I am not sure that Mr Seselja really does want to get up and defend any of those. Does anyone want to talk about the hospital implosion or the futsal slab? Do you want to talk a bit more about painting the grass green at Bruce Stadium? Do you want to talk about the Fujitsu deal or the Impulse Airlines hangar? No, I did not think so.
But back to the subject of this motion and the importance of this stimulus package both to the territory and to the national economy. It will be a significant moment for us when it passes through the Senate. It does then place a huge burden on the states and territories to deliver infrastructure in a hurry. I recognise that. I recognise the importance of engaging early with schools and the building and construction industry, as they will be principally tasked with delivering these projects in the next 12 to 18 months.
Some of the smaller capital works that come in the first round of school pride under the building and education revolution will not require planning approval and can be delivered very quickly. There are some more significant projects that would be funded in the second round, particularly the addition of school halls and gymnasiums, that we know will require a specific response from government.
I am convening meetings with both the government and non-government school sectors in relation to the delivery of those projects. I have already met with Sandra Lambert, the coordinator-general for the ACT government, and have had discussions with both the planning authority and the Department of Education and Training. We are geared up and ready to respond. We need the Senate to give approval. Again, it would be another opportunity for Mr Seselja to pick up the phone, dial 62774022, ring Malcolm Turnbull, and say, “Let’s get on with this,” because now is the time for decisive government action.
We cannot sit and wait, and we are yet to hear a position of opposition from those opposite on the key areas of investment that the federal government is proposing. If
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