Page 151 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 12 February 2020
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Mr Hanson: I remember 2016.
Mr Wall: She doesn’t.
MR COE: Minister, how many more times will the dates for the SPIRE project be pushed out? Can you guarantee that 2024 is the last date in which in which it will be delivered?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his supplementary question. As I have stated, the project is not delayed. As someone opposite noted, I was not in this place prior to the election in 2016; I was focused on my own campaign. I have had the opportunity to go back and look at some of the things that the Canberra Liberals said in 2016. Mr Hanson, as opposition leader and shadow minister for health, stated that they would be able—
Mrs Dunne: I raise a point of order. The question that Mr Coe asked was quite direct: would they change again, or words to that effect. According to Standing Order 118, the minister has to be directly relevant, and under 118(b) not debate the subject.
MADAM SPEAKER: I ask the minister to come to the point. The question is about your policies and the timing of the delivery of those.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I repeat what I said earlier: the project is not delayed.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, how can the people of the ACT trust your government to deliver the SPIRE project on time?
Mr Gentleman: I have a point of order. Standing order 117 suggests that members cannot ask questions that include bad imputations about ministers. I ask the member to retract that bit.
Mrs Dunne: Madam Speaker, the question was about the capacity of the government to deliver; it is not a personal imputation about the minister. It is about the capacity of the government to deliver.
MADAM SPEAKER: I will let the question stand. Standing order 117 covers imputations, hypothetical matters and a range of other things. “Trust” can be used to impugn somebody’s honesty. I will let the question stand and perhaps both sides can reflect on how they ask questions and how they answer them in the future. The question stands, but with that caution.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: The people of Canberra know that over the past decade the ACT government has delivered over $1 billion in health infrastructure, including the new University of Canberra Hospital, the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children and the Canberra Region Cancer Centre. In terms of delivering major infrastructure projects, we delivered light rail stage 1 on time and under budget.
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