Page 376 - Week 01 - Thursday, 11 December 2008
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for a direct land sale had been established. However, Treasury suggested reserving the land for 14 months to enable ActewAGL to put together its business case.
The report then goes on and there are some other interesting things over the page. In paragraph 2.36, it states:
ActewAGL stated the value of the original CTC project to be around $2 billion. The Government quoted these figures—
in this case, the government being the Chief Minister who was delighted to quote them—
in various forums without testing them.
That is the limit of the process that we have here. And I think it is very important that these things be pointed out.
The other important part of the Auditor-General’s report is about community consultation. It is a shame Mr Hargreaves, a member for Brindabella, is not here, because his part in this has been shameful. I have a number of constituents who have now come to me to say Mr Hargreaves will not speak to them because they belong to CPR, because they express a view different to him. So I question Mr Hargreaves as to his role in this place and how it is you get to select whom you represent and whom you do not. When your constituents come to you, you have got an obligation; that is what you are paid to do, look after them. If there is a problem there, then he needs to make it clear.
It is the antithesis of what is wrong with this government. We only talk to people we like and people who agree with us. So we have got a whole community out there, members of CPR, whom John Hargreaves is refusing to represent as their member. That is absolutely shameful but it is so typical of this government who, when they had their majority, refused to listen to anyone.
They rewarded John Hargreaves for his listening. He was elected second in 2004 in the seat of Brindabella. That position was very well taken by my colleague Mr Doszpot, who was elected second, and John Hargreaves and the other Labor member were relegated to fourth and fifth. The community knows what is going on.
You can read the Auditor-General’s report for yourself about the refusal to consult, the refusal to listen and the failure of the government, in particular the members for Brindabella. One got relegated to fourth and, congratulations, Ms Burch, you replaced the other one. He ain’t with us because he refused to stand up for his members.
Ms Burch: And your vote locally, Mr Smyth?
MR SMYTH: There we go. You are here and Mr Gentleman is not. It is an indictment of those members. The problem for people is: we do not know what the problem for Mr Hargreaves is on this issue. The problem for Mr Hargreaves is: he has to come out and tell us exactly why he will not represent anybody that belongs to CPR.
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