Page 39 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 14 February 2012
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MR BARR: The same process that has successfully been adopted in relation to Gungahlin will now be adopted in relation to the CBD procurement, giving the opportunity for the Property Council and its members to, if you like, put their money where their mouth is in relation to their capacity to deliver the project at better value for taxpayers. That has been the claim that has been tested. We received advice from an element of the Property Council. Some of the members of the Property Council who were engaged to consult on this project presented—
Members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Members, this is not a conversation.
MR BARR: an assessment of the variety of different procurement models. Back in August last year I indicated that I wanted that tested in the marketplace, and that is exactly what the government is doing. In the end, for all of the flailing about from those opposite, trying to cover up for the Leader of the Opposition’s inability to manage the only thing that he is responsible for in this territory—his own office, the only thing that he is accountable for—
Mr Seselja interjecting—
MR BARR: He continues to throw across the chamber these assertions that he knows are untrue. He knows that the government, in going to the marketplace, needs to provide the private sector with the scope of our expectations—what we require. The private sector, in order to give and to register their interest in providing such accommodation, needs from the government the scope of that work. That is what we have provided. The process is the right one.
I notice that neither the Leader of the Opposition nor the shadow treasurer—or any other Liberal Party spokesperson—has disagreed with the process that the government is adopting. There is no criticism now of that—(Time expired.)
MS LE COUTEUR (Molonglo) (12.19): The Greens will not be supporting this censure motion today. It is a very silly censure motion. What it effectively says is that if the government look at new information and come to a different conclusion they cannot change their mind. That is what it says. The government office building is something which, as members will know, the Greens and I in particular have had concerns about for a number of years. We have been pursuing this through annual reports hearings and at estimates over a number of years. I admit that this is partly due to my personal background. When I was a director of Australian Ethical Investment, we refurbished an existing building into what is Canberra’s first six green star rated office building. That was very successful. So based on my experience, I always felt that the government should be looking a lot more at the options apart from new build.
I am very pleased that the government finally started looking at options apart from new build. I am very pleased that the government actually followed what the Assembly asked it to do on 24 August last year. The Assembly will remember that we
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