Page 1317 - Week 04 - Thursday, 10 April 2008

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Personal explanation

MR PRATT (Brindabella): Mr Speaker, under standing order 46 I seek leave to make a personal explanation, if I may.

MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Pratt.

MR PRATT: Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is just a technical matter for the record. Yesterday in this place Mr Barr made a statement about expenditures and planned expenditures. In that particular case there was a statement about light rail. I was in the chair at the time, Mr Speaker, so I gracefully let it all go through to the keeper. Despite the arched eyebrows and sharp intake of breath, I let it go.

For the record, Mr Speaker, I wish to say that at no time have I, in this place or publicly, stated that I or the opposition ought to be spending $900 million on the development of a—

Mr Hargreaves: We had better check through the transcripts.

Mr Barr: We wouldn’t want to have misled the Assembly there.

MR PRATT: I have not stated—

MR SPEAKER: Order! Withdraw that, Mr Barr.

Mr Barr: I withdraw that.

MR PRATT: I have not stated in this place that it is the opposition’s policy or my policy that we spend $900 million on the development of a light rail system—or any other form of electric vehicle, for that matter. However, Mr Speaker, I have certainly expressed an interest in the concept of light rail. I have indicated on radio and in this place that the concept of light rail is very worth while looking at. I have said that, and I may have also said that spending a little bit of money on analysing the concept would probably be a very, very good idea. So in response to the Barr spray of yesterday, I set the record straight. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Standing orders—suspension

Motion (by Mr Corbell) agreed to, with the concurrence of an absolute majority:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the order of the day, Assembly business, relating to the establishment of a Select Committee on Estimates 2008-2009 being called on and debated forthwith.

Estimates 2008-2009—Select Committee

Establishment

Debate resumed.


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