Page 2972 - Week 08 - Thursday, 25 June 2009
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MR STANHOPE: I am happy to let your constituents know, Mr Coe, that you do not think they deserve good facilities. I am happy to let them know that you were very happy to move into a freshly painted office. I am very happy to let your constituents in Belconnen know, Mr Coe, that you were more than happy to move into a freshly painted office, that you were more than happy to take possession of a brand-new car, with taxpayer-paid parking, and a bright, newly painted office, but you begrudge them a bus facility of just a moderate standard. I defend the people of Belconnen, Mr Coe. I will continue to do so, and I will do it against people like you.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Coe, a supplementary question?
MR COE: Thank you. Minister, wouldn’t this $50,000 have been better spent for ACTION commuters who are now using temporary bus stations in the cold at the Belconnen Town Centre?
MR STANHOPE: Just to complete the understanding of the residents of Belconnen, Mr Speaker, you might want to let us know what colour Mr Coe’s office was painted. I am sure the residents of Belconnen would love to know that, Mr Coe. A freshly painted office for Mr Coe, a brand-new car for Mr Coe, taxpayer paid car parking for Mr Coe, but no acceptable standard of facility for bus commuters from Belconnen from Mr Coe.
Mr Seselja: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The Chief Minister is not being relevant to the question. It was very specific about the $50,000 that was spent painting instead of using it on commuters who are using the temporary facilities at the moment. I would ask you to bring the Chief Minister back to relevance.
MR SPEAKER: Chief Minister, could you address the issue of the temporary bus station, please.
MR STANHOPE: Thank you, Mr Speaker; I will. The government make a whole range of decisions in relation to priorities. We made a decision in relation to the expenditure of $50,000 for the tens of thousands of commuters that use the Belconnen bus interchange. Amongst those priorities another priority that was pursued particularly by this place was that it was a priority to paint Mr Coe’s office, it was a priority to provide Mr Coe with a brand-new car and it was a priority to provide Mr Coe with taxpayer funded free car parking.
This is the range of decisions that governments make. I stand by the decision to invest in the people of Belconnen in the maintenance of a bus facility of a certain standard, and I will not resile from that.
Health—home births
MS BRESNAN: My question is to the Minister for Health and concerns home births. Minister, I understand that on 12 June in your role as the chair of the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council, you publicly released the draft legislation for the national registration and accreditation scheme for health professionals. The draft
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