Page 1723 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 4 June 2014
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prepared. All of these transformational projects are in the never-never. There are no time lines for them. We do not know when they will commence. We do not know which of them are actually shovel ready.
We talked about the big infrastructure budget, but what about even the minor projects, things like the additions to Alexander Maconochie Centre? The question is: will a single sod be turned there this year to allow that to happen? I suspect the answer is no. When you go through that list of projects, not very many are shovel ready. That is the problem. This is the government on the never-never; it is always playing catch-up. I think it is unfortunate.
Let me look at the capital works program for this year, 2013-14, and prior year programs, a total of $446 million; 2013-14 rollovers and reprofiling, $149 million. So there is 25 per cent not delivered, again. This is the hallmark of this government. I always enjoy it when Mr Corbell wants to get up and talk about his delivery of capital works. We all know that Mr Corbell and infrastructure go together; they are the real deal! Mr Corbell and his GDE—on time, on budget? Six years late and four times the cost. There was the prison, the false opening of the prison. This was the prison that was going to last 20 to 25 years, Mr Corbell proudly told people. What is happening now? We are going back into a prison to build. Then there is Mr Corbell’s City Hill plan from 2005, not a piece of which has happened.
Let me go through some of the big items that Mr Corbell was talking about. There was the potential for a new court. We have been talking about the potential for a new court for as long as I can remember. Again, it is not delivered.
If we look at blowout in costs, we only have to go to the secure mental health facility, which was meant to be opened three years ago at a cost of $11 million. Here we are today and it is going to cost $43 million—and who knows when it will open? The problem for those opposite is that all of the people, and the families of those people, who needed that facility have been left in the lurch by this government—hairy government.
Mr Wall: The bush healing farm.
MR SMYTH: The bush healing farm is another one. Thank you, Mr Wall. What about the bush healing farm saga? The bush healing farm, because the government got the process wrong, is now pushed back by—what, another one or two years?
Mr Wall: Another year.
MR SMYTH: Another year? It is another year of indifference from an indifferent government that does not deliver.
It is all well and good to say that you care deeply. You did not last year. It is all well and good to say that there is an incredible challenge. Yes, there is, and most of it is because you did not prepare.
The Chief Minister went on to say, “We are living within available resources.” That is right, because you did not put away for the future. Then she made the most
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