Page 2576 - Week 07 - Thursday, 18 June 2009

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I asked this question of the commissioner for the environment, and it is simply not possible to provide an upgrade of freeway joining the Federal Highway with the Monaro highway without environmental impacts, and of course we are determined to seek to minimise those to the greatest extent possible. But at the end of the day there will be environmental impacts.

Municipal services—questions

MR COE: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, you stated when becoming minister for TAMS that you did so because you wanted to be seen as the mayor of Canberra, yet you have as recently as this week criticised questions from the opposition on the core issues of roads, rates and rubbish. Chief Minister, are these not precisely the type of questions that a so-called mayor would and should be answering?

MR STANHOPE: I have absolutely no idea what the member is talking about, Mr Speaker, and I find myself unable to answer the question.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Coe, a supplementary question?

MR COE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Chief Minister, given your contempt for territory and municipal services, are you complaining about the questions that were put to you because they are beneath you?

MR STANHOPE: I must admit, Mr Speaker, that I reserve my contempt not for the questions but for the questioner.

Hospitals—Calvary Public Hospital

MR HANSON: My question is to the Minister for Health and is in relation to the government’s proposal to purchase Calvary hospital. Minister, given that discussions for this proposal began in August 2008, can you advise the Assembly what the status of the negotiations were when you stated on 7 October that “we have put our plans on the table”?

MS GALLAGHER: The status of those discussions were—as I think I have gone through in estimates with members—initial meetings were held and they had not progressed any further than that. We were discussing the idea that the government had indicated to the Little Company of Mary that we would like to purchase the public hospital. Meetings had been held; discussions had taken place; no decisions had been made.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, a supplementary question?

MR HANSON: Minister, can you advise the Assembly if any proposals or commitments in any form had been made by the government prior to the last election in relation to the purchase of Calvary hospital?

MS GALLAGHER: Sorry, can you repeat that? I don’t know what the question is.


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