Page 5192 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 27 October 2010
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committed the ACT Labor government to building a 50-metre pool in Gungahlin. The heading of the press release that was released—this was in the lead-up to the election—was “Gungahlin residents to benefit from new 50m pool complex”. The press release said:
… Andrew Barr today announced a re-elected Stanhope Government will build a pool and indoor leisure centre for the Gungahlin community.
Mr Barr said the Government is currently investigating the scope of the centre which will include a 50 metre pool, a 25 metre pool at least 1 court space, for example a netball court and associated amenities such as a cafe and gymnasium …
As Gungahlin grows, the community’s need for facilities grows with it …
This new facility will provide a place where all members of the Gungahlin community can come to enjoy an active, healthy lifestyle all year round. It will be co-located with the Gungahlin College in the Town Centre and provide a great place for swimming training and classes for all the schools in the region.”
Only the Stanhope Government has the record of responsible financial management and the commitment to Gungahlin that will see this pool and leisure centre become a reality …
What we now know—and we know this from comments that Mr Barr or his spokespeople have been making in the media, and because of a response he made to a question that I asked in the Assembly last week—is that Andrew Barr has backflipped. He is now refusing to commit the government to building a 50-metre pool in Gungahlin. He acknowledged, in answering a question last week, that he had indeed made the promise, so he does not step away from the fact that this is a promise, that this is a commitment that he made. Let me quote again:
Only the Stanhope Government has the … commitment to Gungahlin that will see this pool … become a reality …
He was prepared to say that in the lead-up to the election, but now he is refusing to commit the ACT Labor government to building a 50-metre pool complex.
You can characterise this however you want. You can call it a backflip, a broken promise or a lack of commitment. But let us be very clear about what has occurred here. Before the election they said one thing, and they are stepping away from that commitment.
There is an argument for a 50-metre pool, as I said before. The argument has been well put, and I will read through some of the comments that have been made by members of the community. But if schools are going to be able to enjoy access to a 50-metre pool for carnivals and recreational events, if Gungahlin is to be able to host swimming events, if people are to be able to do the laps that you would expect in order to stay fit and if people are to be able to conduct leisure events, they need a 50-metre pool.
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