Page 5202 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 27 October 2010

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I very much support Mr Hanson’s motion. I think that he has very well documented the case for this motion and why it is very important that this Assembly takes a stand and actually supports the good people of Gungahlin and this motion to ensure that we get a 50-metre pool as promised by the ACT Labor Party.

MR HANSON (Molonglo) (5.14): I will just speak briefly to the amendment and will cover off on Mr Barr’s amendment while I do so. I am very disappointed that the Greens will not be supporting this motion. This was an election promise, pure and simple. As Ms Le Couteur acknowledged in her speech, it is a black and white issue. All we are asking the government to do is simply follow through on their promise. I think it is very disappointing that the Greens will not actually be supporting that.

We will not be supporting Mr Barr’s amendment. I am disappointed that Mr Barr came into this place and tried to use such mealy words. He has put an amendment before this place that tries to gloss over the reality, which is: will you commit to a 50-metre pool for the people of Gungahlin? Yes or no? He is refusing to answer that question. That is the question that he was asked in the Assembly last week, which he refused to answer. Again, what we see in this amendment is a refusal to answer that simple question. Will you honour your promise, Mr Barr? He will not answer that question. For that very simple reason, we will not be supporting Mr Barr’s amendment.

Ms Le Couteur’s amendment to Mr Barr’s proposed amendment agreed to.

Question put:

That Mr Barr’s amendment, as amended, be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Ayes 8		Noes 5
Mr Barr	Ms Hunter	Mr Coe	Mr Smyth
Mr Corbell	Ms Le Couteur	Mr Doszpot
Ms Gallagher	Ms Porter	Mr Hanson
Mr Hargreaves	Mr Rattenbury	Mr Seselja

Question so resolved in the affirmative.

MR HANSON (Molonglo) (5.19): The government want to break an election promise. That is what they have done, because Mr Barr has refused to commit the government to what was promised—that is, to build a 50-metre pool. He has been offered a number of opportunities to commit the government and answer yes or no. If the government want to break an election promise then the Greens will allow them to do so. But they will not actually support the Liberal motion that holds the government to account and that calls on the government to honour their promises.

That is probably not a revelation. I think that by now it has been established that the Greens sometimes do not have the fortitude to hold the government to account. I am

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