Page 4455 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 14 October 2009
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It is interesting, again, to reflect on the Gungahlin Drive extension—a project delivered over the last two years—a single road project with a capital investment greater than the investment of the Liberal Party in any single year across every area of government. Just reflect on that. The Gungahlin Drive extension, just in stage 1, represented a greater capital expenditure in one year by one department than the Liberals ever achieved across the entirety of government in any year in government.
It is not just restricted, of course, to roads or to Gungahlin Drive. It is interesting to reflect: “Oh, you’ve duplicated it. You should have done it as a single job.” I challenge Mr Seselja in his question to outline, even as a preamble, those roads that the Liberal Party delivered as four lanes first up. Which road did you build that was a four-lane road first up? Was it the part of the GDE that you built, the bit out in Gungahlin that we duplicated? It was duplicated years after it was built. Was it Athllon Drive? Was it Athllon Drive which we have just successfully duplicated? Why did you not duplicate that when you built it? What about all those other roads that the government is currently duplicating? What about Flemington Road? There is massive duplication at Flemington Road. What about Tharwa Drive? Who is duplicating Tharwa Drive? We are duplicating Tharwa Drive, we are duplicating Lanyon Drive, we are duplicating Flemington Road and we are duplicating the GDE because your inept management of the budget and of the government did not allow you the capacity to do anything in your period in government.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Burch, a supplementary question?
MS BURCH: Can the minister inform us to what extent is this record of achievement mirrored across the other ACT government agencies in relation to the delivery of capital works?
MR STANHOPE: Just by coincidence, I can.
Mrs Dunne: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: I do not know that Ms Burch’s question is in order, because she is asking the Chief Minister to talk about something that he does not have responsibility for. He does not have responsibility for the whole of the capital works budget—that is the responsibility of the Treasurer.
MR SPEAKER: I think I am able to be consistent with former rulings by saying that the Chief Minister does have a remit right across government.
MR STANHOPE: I remember that previous ruling, Mr Speaker. I thank you for your consistency. I am very pleased to give a brief, rushed reminder to members of the Assembly and indeed to the Canberra community of the nature and the extent of capital works pursued by this government. These are expenditures that we are able to invest in this community because of the strength of our budget, our balance sheet, and because of our excellent and successful economic management of this territory since coming to government.
It is in that context that the people of Canberra would be interested in knowing of our investment in this community. They would be interested in knowing about the $8.8 million for the Belconnen Arts Centre, and they would be interested in knowing
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