Page 4256 - Week 13 - Thursday, 19 November 2015
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MR SMYTH: Minister, did a member of your staff and a Labor Party official visit the home of a board member of Diversity ACT this morning at 7.30 to discuss Ms Lawder’s FOI request?
MS BERRY: Members of my staff? I have said no a number of times—no. If there are other people who have gone and visited Diversity ACT this morning, I do not know about that either. I am just hearing about it here today; I have not heard anything.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, will you now check with your staff and come back before the close of business today and guarantee that your staff did not go to the home of a member of Diversity ACT this morning at 7.30 to discuss Ms Lawder’s FOI request?
MS BERRY: I will answer the question now. I had checked with my staff yesterday afternoon when the question was asked. None of my staff has had any interactions with Diversity ACT.
Mr Smyth: What about 7.30 this morning?
MS BERRY: Or this morning. I have already answered the question.
Transport—light rail
MS PORTER: My question is to the Chief Minister. Can you outline the importance to the ACT economy of the capital metro project?
MR BARR: I thank Ms Porter for the question, and with great pleasure I will outline the benefits to the ACT economy of the capital metro project. Stage 1 capital metro will have a significant benefit for the ACT economy. As the business case clearly states, the benefits exceed $1 billion. They include, amongst other things, $222 million of transport time saving benefits, $240 million of land use benefits, $198 million of wider economic benefits and $140 million of infrastructure efficiency savings benefits.
But, more importantly, the flow on of investment in this project will create 3,500 jobs through the construction phase. This includes more than 2,000 indirect jobs from a range of sectors that will help support the project. This includes engineers, architects, truck drivers, cleaners and, of course, there will be spillover benefits to local shopkeepers, hotel operators and the like.
We want to work with local businesses to maximise these benefits. This is beyond just the successful construction company or operator but also the jobs that flow on to businesses supporting the project and from the increase in economic activity in Canberra. This will include many entry level jobs, helping young people transition into the workforce. It will be a magnet for new skills into the ACT economy. It
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