Page 2236 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 16 August 2006

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I draw members’ attention to the documents released by the planning and environment committee when they sought documents from the planning authority on this matter. Those documents include a very telling email from Mr Tom Snow, who is a director of the Canberra International Airport. In that email he very clearly asks the question, “What are the car parking requirements for a direct factory outlet on that site?”

That was the question Mr Snow asked before the auction. It gives the lie to the claim made by Canberra International Airport that they did not know that a direct factory outlet was a permitted use on that site. Before the auction they asked, “How many car parks do we need to provide if we want to build a direct factory outlet on that site?” It went further than that. They actually asked if they could get away with providing less car parking than that required by the car parking guidelines. This outrageous claim that has been peddled around town and peddled by Mr Seselja as the mouthpiece of Mr Snow has been put to bed and given the lie by that email.

I think Mr Seselja needs to be a little bit more circumspect in this analysis of this issue. I stand by my comments. Developers knew what was available to be developed on that site. Their emails and letters confirm that they understood the provisions of the site, and where they did not understand it, they asked the question and they got a reply from the planning and land authority. It is called due diligence, Mr Seselja. It is a perfectly normal and everyday operation and I am amazed that you do not understand that.

MR SESELJA: I ask a supplementary question. Minister, did the CEO or any senior representative of ACTPLA write to the CEO or any senior representative of the LDA prior to the auction expression concern over any aspects of the pre-auction process?

MR CORBELL: Was the question: did they? Not that I am aware of, Mr Speaker.

Government—debt

MR MULCAHY: My question is to the Treasurer. In relation to current debtors in the ACT, representing an increase of more than 50 per cent than during Treasurer Quinlan’s tenure last year, what is the government’s view of utilising debt factoring?

Mr Stanhope: I did not hear the introduction to the question. Could the shadow Treasurer please repeat the question?

MR MULCAHY: In relation to current debtors in the ACT, representing an increase of more than 50 per cent than during former Treasurer Quinlan’s tenure last year, what is the government’s view of utilising debt factoring?

MR STANHOPE: I will take on notice the question about the level of debt, the reasons for the increase in debt and the range of circumstances in which the alleged increase in debt has occurred. I do not know but I would be interested in the range of issues or factors that led to a 50 per cent increase in three months, as suggested by the shadow Treasurer. The shadow Treasurer is suggesting that the level of debtors has increased by 50 per cent in the last three months.

Mr Mulcahy: No, in the last year.


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