Page 26 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 9 February 2010
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I have to say that I am disappointed that we have ended up the way we have ended up, but given the competing priorities and given that the major safety impact issues have been addressed by the government, the crossbench will understand the government’s position on this. I thank Mr Barr very much for coming and reporting to the Assembly on what the government plans to do as a result of the motion. That is really important.
MR COE (Ginninderra), by leave: I do not intend to speak for too long now, because I note that the matter of public importance today is on the realignment of Well Station Drive, but I do think it is important to reflect on the comments of Mr Barr and Ms Le Couteur today.
I have got to say that it is bitterly disappointing. It is bitterly disappointing how we have come to this point in time and how we have come to this decision. I would love to know how the Greens came to this decision and I would love to know what information came from the minister’s office and when it came.
We heard Ms Le Couteur speak, just then, about the finances. The costs of this are still uncertain. She said herself that we still do not know a definitive amount as to how much it is going to cost. “Roughly $5 million.” That is a nice round figure, isn’t it? I do not think that the information we have seen or heard from the minister is enough for us to go to the people of Harrison, look in all their eyes and say: “Sorry, you’re not getting the road on the other side of the hill. You’re not getting a safer road. You’re not having your amenity improved.”
All this is based on a back-of-an-envelope quote from Mr Barr. It is absolutely disgraceful that here we have the Greens subscribing to Labor Party ideology on this simply to satisfy Mr Barr’s arrogance. There is a very clear trend developing in this place. If you speak to the Greens one on one, they tell you something, and quite often it is a very honest and sincere opinion. Then over time—over a few weeks, over a few months and over a few telephone calls from the Labor Party—their position changes. We see it time and time again. Their position changes. That is exactly what has happened here. Just a few weeks ago, and in the chamber a couple of months ago, Ms Le Couteur said, “We need to get all the figures.” Ms Le Couteur said, “We haven’t got all the information.” She still does not have all the information, yet they have changed their line. It is bitterly disappointing.
It is all very well just to think of it as theatre in this place, but the fact is that this is all very real. This is all very real for dozens, if not hundreds, of people who live on Carpentaria Street in Harrison. This is very real. I challenge everyone here to go and have a look at that street and to have a look at where that road is going to be placed—where Well Station Drive extension is going to be placed. It is horrifying. It is horrifying to see it. How many people here have ever been to Harrison? Some of those opposite probably never have. I challenge people here to go and have a look at that road, doorknock those houses and speak to the people there. If you do go out there—
Mr Rattenbury: Have you done that?
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