Page 2354 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 28 June 2005
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Mr Smyth: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: standing order 118 (b) does not allow the minister to argue the toss. You have already referred him to the supplementary, and he has ignored you.
MR SPEAKER: The question asked by Mrs Dunne was in relation—
Mr Seselja: He is ignoring you like he ignored the chair of the estimates committee.
MR SPEAKER: Order, members! The Chief Minister is referring to further inquiries conducted by board members.
MR STANHOPE: I will conclude on that point, except to say that, unlike the opposition, I am prepared to trust the integrity, the advice and the commitment of people like Jim Murphy, Eric Koundouris and Anne Kowalski to the arboretum, just as I trust the people of Canberra in terms of their commitment to what I know they believe to be a most fantastic project.
Bushfires—insurance claims
MRS BURKE: My question is directed to the housing minister. Minister, in response to question on notice No 214 dated 8 March 2005, you made it clear that the government has expended the insurance money recouped from the loss of houses at Pierces Creek on properties in the urban area of Canberra. How many properties did Housing ACT purchase with the approximate $2.4 million from the insurance policy? Will the minister advise the Assembly where these properties are located?
MR HARGREAVES: I thank Mrs Burke for the question; it is the first one in this place that has made sense to me. Unfortunately, I do not carry that information around in my pocket. I will get that information for the member and get back to her. But it is not our fault that people are not out at Pierces Creek; it is the NCA—the people that you support.
MRS BURKE: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Since the insurance money has indeed already been spent, where will you get the funds to rebuild the 12 houses at Pierces Creek?
MR HARGREAVES: If Mrs Burke wants me to say out of which hat I will put a rabbit, she has some sad news coming to her.
Mrs Burke: Just public housing properties minister.
MR HARGREAVES: Have you finished for good?
Mrs Burke: I am waiting.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mrs Burke.
MR HARGREAVES: These guys just wasted 35 seconds, so I am grateful for that. The replacement of houses at Pierces Creek is done in the netting off of the amount of insurance funds that we receive plus the sale of the properties that we have purchased to put the people into in the interim.
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