Page 3645 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 27 October 2015
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Labor members calling for it, ultimately when it came to the top, when it came to Mr Barr and Mr Corbell, they made a decision: no. Now instead of a thorough review of what happened in that tragedy, Mr Barr is saying, “Put it off for five years,” no doubt when he has long since left the Assembly.
While Ms Burch is here, we have seen one of the most shocking incidents—the incident of the boy in the cage. That has been a very distressing issue but, again, the government’s and this minister’s reluctance to provide the information has been most disconcerting. I commend Mr Doszpot who has been fighting tooth and nail to get the information. We still do not know who planned what happened there, who approved it, who paid for it, who built it. We do not know who conducted the investigation. We do not know who they talked to or what they found out. We do not even know what the terms of reference were. This is a government that talks about transparency, but when it comes to one of the most outrageous issues that we have seen in recent times, all we have seen from this government is a preparedness to hide the details. I know that Mr Doszpot will have more to say on that.
Of course you have got the greatest deception of them all—the rates campaign. The rates campaign where you had Mr Barr and Ms Gallagher at the last election saying, “Don’t worry, your rates aren’t going to triple. No, trust us.” Looking down the barrel of the camera: “They’re not going to triple.” What we have seen since that date is that people’s rates bills have been going through the roof—about 10 per cent a year time and time again.
I am sure of what is going to happen, Madam Assistant Speaker. Let me be a little bit of a fortune teller here. Since Mr Barr introduced his legislation, his tax reform, where he said, “Rates won’t triple”, they have been tripling. What you will see is that, next year in the budget, he will say, “No, no, no. We’re not doing that anymore. We’re going to reduce the rate in the election year ready for the election.” He will say, “No, no, no. All that’s over now. Trust us again. It is an election year so trust us again.” Then if the Labor Party were to be successful, up it will go again. The problem is that I think people are starting to get the message that you simply cannot trust them.
You cannot trust them when it comes to the issue of light rail. It is interesting that they are now coming up with this comprehensive plan, they are consulting with the community, they are going to engage with the community about what routes that they want. They are trying to create this illusion of transparency and openness when we all know that they had already picked the favourite route without any consultation or engagement. They had already decided that they are going to go to Gungahlin along Northbourne, so this whole conversation about the need for transparency makes an absolute mockery of stage 1 of light rail, which is being done without the ability of the people to have their say.
Let me say this very clearly. When you try to keep people from having their say, there is a backlash. What I will say on the issue of light rail is your endeavours will be tested over the next election where the people will have their say.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Urban Renewal and Minister for Tourism and Events) (4.09): I appreciate the opportunity that the Leader of the Opposition has
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