Page 201 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 10 December 2008
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Opposition members interjecting—
MR BARR: If the Muppet gallery will ever be quiet. It would appear they are not that interested in the answer.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Barr, I do not think “Muppet gallery” is a necessary description.
MR BARR: I withdraw that. If the opposition were interested in the answer, perhaps they would interject a little less, Mr Speaker.
As I was saying, I will be visiting the site later this week. The residents will be in place prior to Christmas, but I will not be naming the date that residents move, for obvious security reasons.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Coe, do you have a supplementary question?
MR COE: Yes. Minister, will the government have another official opening when it is actually ready?
MR BARR: The facetious nature of the shadow minister’s question should be noted. If that is the seriousness with which he is going to take his portfolio responsibilities, then I think he might want to think again.
Of course there will not be another opening. There was one opening of the facility when the construction was complete. It would not be appropriate, with residents in the building, to hold a media circus. I do not believe it is appropriate to hold another opening so, no, there will not be. The residents will take up their accommodation prior to Christmas on a date that I will not be making publicly available, for obvious security reasons.
Alexander Maconochie Centre—opening
MR HANSON: My question is to the Minister for Corrections. The ACT government officially opened the Alexander Maconochie Centre on 11 September 2008—
Members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order, members! I cannot hear the question being asked. I call Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: I will start again, Mr Speaker. The ACT government officially opened the Alexander Maconochie Centre on 11 September 2008, five weeks out from the ACT election. As of today, nearly three months later, the facility is still not ready to receive prisoners and recent reports suggest it will not be ready for another three months. Minister, why did the government open the prison—to great fanfare—when it should have known that it would not be ready to receive prisoners for some time?
MR HARGREAVES: I thank Mr Hanson for the photocopy of Mr Coe’s question. I think we need some history to show the relevance of when we need to have
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