Page 1778 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MR STANHOPE: No, it is in relation to budgeting, the claims made and the position put. There was no provision for these negotiated pay rises for nurses. We see in that context exactly how legitimate the Liberal Party’s bid for a GDE with tunnels of $32 million was. The Liberal Party proposed to build for $32 million four lanes of the GDE from the Barton Highway to Belconnen Way with two tunnels and to complete it by 2004 for $32 million. What a joke!
It is ironic that Mr Coe brings this matter forward for debate here on budget day. There were, of course, delays in the start. I think we are all aware of those. This government took a decision in relation to the route. We believe that it was reasonable for us as the legitimate, elected representatives of the people of the ACT to do that. Unfortunately, there was significant argy-bargy, most particularly with the commonwealth through the NCA. The commonwealth did intervene. The commonwealth would not support that particular route. That certainly delayed the start of the project considerably.
Once that issue had been resolved, legal action was commenced, as members of this place know. I am not quite sure what Mr Coe is suggesting. Perhaps he is suggesting that we just should have ignored the action, that we roll on, that we crash through, that we have no regard to the fact that legal action was commenced. I cannot remember the exact time frame now but I know it was lengthy and very wearing. That is some of the history. Of course, Mr Coe has glossed over that history in relation to issues that did beset this particular project from the outset.
Having said that, the first two lanes were delivered. The government undertook to duplicate those lanes. Of course, that is not unusual. I must say that I have reflected on this. I have not gone back to look at the history, but it would be interesting to know which roads were constructed during the Liberal period in government. I cannot remember any offhand. It would be interesting actually—I might do this, for the sake of the next debate on this issue—to look at—
Mr Coe: You said that last time, Jon.
MR STANHOPE: I actually was going to do it. I thought of it, but I never got around to doing it.
Mr Coe: You’re not delivering, are you? You can’t deliver, even to yourself, Jon. You can’t even deliver to yourself.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Coe, be quiet.
MR STANHOPE: Well, I did not think you would be so devoid of serious matters to debate that you would bring this up again. But I think it would be relevant in the context of the traditional methodology for delivering roads in the ACT to look at exactly how the Liberal Party proceeded in relation to the design and construction of roads. It would be interesting to look at the roads which it constructed and it would be interesting to identify those which have since been duplicated, most particularly by this government. I am aware of a number that have been.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video