Page 6030 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 8 December 2010
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Mr Stanhope: I do concede I couldn’t get Air China here with one phone call.
MR SMYTH: I acknowledge your efforts. We acknowledge his efforts.
Mr Stanhope: One phone call and Air China’s flying to Canberra.
MR SMYTH: There’s Jon—
Mr Seselja: He’s very touchy, isn’t he?
MR SMYTH: He is touchy. For those who were not here, let us catalogue the minister’s letter writing skills. Let us have the catalogue. First, of course, there was the “Let’s get the money back for the federal government’s half of the Beijing torch relay.” “We got that money. Oh no, we didn’t; we didn’t get that money.” Then, of course, there was a deal that he had with the former Liberal government that the Burley Griffin legacy would be funded. There was money in the budget and we would be paid for the car park. We gave them the car park and signed the deed over. “Oh, we didn’t get paid for that either.”
Mr Seselja: We got a worse deal.
MR SMYTH: We got a worse deal. We have been asking for money for a new convention centre for about nine years now. We have not got a cent out of the federal government for the new convention centre. And there is the centenary of Canberra. Canberra exists because of the federal government, let’s face it, and we have not got a single cent yet from his federal Labor mates. This is the litany of the Chief Minister’s letter writing ability—all of them abject failure when he talks to his federal colleagues because they do not take him seriously. You can move as many amendments as you like patting yourself on the back, Jon—you are very good at that—but, at the end of the day, the only real thing that will occur here in the long term that will protect the people of Canberra—
Mr Stanhope interjecting—
MR SMYTH: whether it is Brindabella in the south or Gungahlin in the north, is to legislate for protection from noise. That is what we thought the debate was about.
Mr Stanhope interjecting—
MR SMYTH: But if that is all it is about, that is fine. It does not matter about—
Mr Hanson: Madam Assistant Speaker—
MR SMYTH: Or what do you think about the poplars? What do you think about Googong? What do you think about north Tralee? What do you think about any development that might cause noise sharing?
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ms Le Couteur): Mr Smyth, I believe Mr Hanson next to you is trying to make a point of order.
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