Page 264 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 10 February 2010
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Secondly, Mr Speaker, Ms Hunter asks the legitimate question about why this information was not made known to the Assembly or the committee earlier. There are two reasons for that. The first, and the most significant, is that the arbitrator’s decision occurred in July. There is a two-month appeal period for the arbitrator’s decision, which brought that period to a date in September. I do not know the exact date, but it brought it to a date in September last year.
Further, the government—and I as the responsible minister, and it is important to remember that I became the responsible minister late last year—had clear advice from our legal representatives that there was the potential to prejudice ongoing commercial negotiations with the contractor should the information be released prior to when it was released. It was only when I received advice from my legal advisers that the information could be released that I did so. And, of course, I did so consistent with the advice I received from the Chief Solicitor in the Government Solicitor’s Office.
Those are the reasons, Mr Speaker. There was no conspiracy, no attempt to hamstring or make life difficult for the committee. And, as I have continually said, all of the facts that were available to the expert arbitrator were available to the committee. They were all the same facts. Indeed, what the government said to the expert arbiter the government said to the committee. The point is that the committee got it wrong.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Paper
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (9.24): Mr Speaker, I table the following paper:
Alexander Maconochie Centre—Expert determination between Australian Capital Territory -v- Bovis Lend Lease Pty Ltd—Contract No C06579—Construction of the ACT Prison, prepared by Steven Goldstein, dated 3 July 2009.
The expert is Mr Steven Goldstein.
Adjournment
Motion by Mr Corbell proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Dr Enrico Taglietti
MR DOSZPOT (Brindabella) (9:25): Mr Speaker, I would imagine that most of us in the Assembly would agree that Canberra is becoming known around the world for the quality and variety of its architecture. This reflects in very large part the contribution of a number of distinguished architects who have made their mark in our nation’s capital over the last century.
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