Page 2739 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 16 September 2014
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MR WALL: Minister, why did you state last week that an $800 million price tag is “well and truly over and above what we are anticipating”, and then announce a cost of $783 million?
MR CORBELL: We have heard all sorts of outlandish claims from Mr Coe, and I was responding to those. Mr Coe has made all sorts of outlandish claims, including claims that may or may not involve a contingency, and may or may not involve other assumptions. The facts are that Mr Coe seems to believe this figure is heading upwards, past $800 million. I hear that even today they are using $800 million when they know that is not the figure released by the government. It is not surprising that we will take with a fairly large bucket of salt any suggestion made by Mr Coe and those opposite.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Coe.
MR COE: Minister, what other statements have you made on the costings of light rail which are inconsistent with previous statements?
MR CORBELL: It is a ridiculous question, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Coe.
MR COE: Minister, how can the public have any confidence in your costings when you have been inconsistent in detailing how your previous costings were calculated?
MR CORBELL: I have been entirely consistent. With those opposite, the only consistency we have seen from them is the consistency to confuse and mislead the Canberra community. We have seen it from day one, and they continue to do so.
This government has made a rock-solid commitment to release a very high level of detail around the business case and financial analysis for this project. That stands in marked contrast to state Liberal administrations around the country—around the country—who refuse to release any detailed assessments in relation to their business cases. Go and look at the Napthine government in Victoria; they are refusing—just point-blank refusing—to release any detail of any significance in relation to their infrastructure projects. There are similar approaches in New South Wales from the Liberal government there. In this territory, though, the government has committed to a detailed release of the full business case. We remain committed to that, and we will be working through the process the government outlined yesterday to achieve that and to make that available at the end of October, the same period of time when the expression of interest process commences.
Transport—light rail
MS LAWDER: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, on 10 June 2014, in relation to the $614 million cost of capital metro, you said:
Cabinet’s tolerance is in that order, updated for 2014 dollars.
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