Page 109 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 10 February 2016
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The truth is that the project is not going to be disadvantaged if they hold off on those larger procurements until after October. It is not uncommon. Contracts like this often have trigger points where certain things are allowed to happen and certain expenditures take place. Therefore, we are saying: include a trigger for a big acquisition such as the rolling stock, steel and other procurements until after October of this year.
It is a reasonable position. Even if they are going to charge ahead, they can still do utility relocations; they can still do earthworks; they can still do the depot; they can still do road and intersection upgrades. But we are simply saying, “Hold off on the long-term procurements until after the election.” If they were doing the decent thing by Canberrans and the decent thing by the consortium, those trigger points would be included in the contract.
The opposition makes no secret of the fact that we see investing in the bus network as the best way to serve our dispersed population in the short to mid-term. We believe that investing in ACTION is the most cost-effective way to improve public transport in Canberra. Of course, this is a view shared by the former environment and sustainability directorate, the government’s adviser in this area, as well as Infrastructure Australia, an independent statutory body. They have also advised government to this effect.
What the opposition is calling for today is for the government to respect the people of Canberra, to respect the decisions and the choices that they make by holding off on signing contracts until after October. But in the event that that is not possible, we simply say: make sure that there are trigger points beyond October before the big procurements take place to ensure that Canberrans are not at a considerable disadvantage financially as a result of this government going ahead with their flawed project.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for Capital Metro, Minister for Health, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister for the Environment and Climate Change) (10.25): Madam Speaker, before the last election this Labor government put a written policy position to the people of Canberra. It was announced clearly and unequivocally by the then Chief Minister and me. It was covered comprehensively by all of the media outlets in this city on that day and the weeks that followed preceding polling day in 2012.
Let me restate what that commitment was. ACT Labor committed to “plan, finance and develop the first stage of a light rail network” with “construction estimated to commence in 2016”. The statement issued on 21 September by the then Chief Minister and me said:
Stage 1 is anticipated to be completed by 2018 with construction estimated to commence in 2016.
The government went on to say at that time that it would be delivered through the ACT’s first large-scale public-private partnership. We made it clear that the upfront
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