Page 3094 - Week 07 - Thursday, 1 July 2010
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MS BURCH: I did indeed come in last night and say that Flynn is part of the 2008 commitment. But what I find difficult to believe is that, when we deliver, and we are going to go on delivering, with two childcare centres, it beggars belief that those opposite get anxious when we deliver. In fact, we are over-delivering. As new centres come online and parents are dropping their kids off, I am just wondering if they will hear on the radio that the Liberals did not want us to over-deliver—that they did not want us to build Flynn to accommodate Gumnut and Alkira childcare centre, that they did not want us—
Mrs Dunne: A point of order, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Stop the clocks, thank you.
Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker, Mr Smyth asked Ms Burch a direct question about provision of a childcare centre in the south of Canberra that was promised in the 2008 election. He asked her whether she would commit to delivering that. We are now almost a quarter of the way through the answer and she has not actually come to that point. I ask you to ask her to be directly relevant to the question that Mr Smyth asked.
MR SMYTH: Mrs Dunne, on the point of order, I think Mr Smyth’s question was about the delivery of childcare services, including one in the south. So far, the minister is talking about the government’s delivery of childcare services. I imagine the minister will come to Mr Smyth’s specific question in the course of her four minutes.
Mrs Dunne: Sorry, just on that, Mr Speaker, Mr Smyth’s question was:
… can you confirm that ACT Labor will honour its … election promise to provide funding for a new childcare centre in the south of Canberra?
That was the question. There was preamble.
MR SPEAKER: It was, Mrs Dunne, but you did not quote Mr Smyth’s extensive preamble which I think provided the minister with some latitude.
Mrs Dunne: But the standing orders say, Mr Speaker—
MR SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, thank you; sit down. There is no point of order. Minister Burch.
MS BURCH: Obviously, their attention span is short.
MR SPEAKER: Minister Burch, back to the question, thank you.
MS BURCH: Given their short attention span: yes.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Smyth had his question answered. Mr Smyth?
MR SMYTH: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker.
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