Page 166 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 13 February 2008
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Mrs Dunne: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: this is a question about the cuts to Constitution Avenue, not the fishing hall of fame. Can you bring the Chief Minister back to the subject matter of the question?
MR SPEAKER: The Chief Minister has touched on the reasons why the funding was cut back. I think that is reasonable.
Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker, on the point of order: there was nothing in the question that gives the Chief Minister licence to wander into speculating on what he thinks are the reasons for the cutbacks. The questions were very specific about his lobbying the relevant minister about Constitution Avenue.
MR SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, as you well know, questions without notice are politically charged, as are the answers. It is something we all have to bear.
MR STANHOPE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have met the minister; I am in communication with the minister. I have met with the chair of the NCA, and I continue to meet with him. Indeed, I am hoping that, through the representations that we make, we will be able to achieve an appropriate and satisfactory outcome. However, in the event that we do not, it needs to be borne in mind and always remembered that this cut was part of a package of $650 million of cuts around Australia—
Mr Seselja: The cuts we had to have.
MR STANHOPE: Well, it is only the start.
Mr Pratt: A drop in the bucket.
MR STANHOPE: It is interesting—
Mr Stefaniak: It’s minimal.
MR STANHOPE: It is minimal! A 0.25 per cent increase in interest rates, I suppose to this mob was minimal to those young Canberra families out there that are now contemplating whether or not they will have to sell their homes.
Mr Stefaniak: It’s a minor cut in the federal budget which has a big effect on your city.
MR STANHOPE: It’s a minimal cut—$650 million; it doesn’t really count!
Mr Stefaniak: You’re very happy to bash Howard; why don’t you go and bash Rudd when he does something wrong?
MR SPEAKER: Mr Stefaniak, control yourself.
MR STANHOPE: A 0.25 per cent increase in interest rates does not count either, because you do not care. You do not care about young families; you do not care about
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