Mr STIRLING - 2001-02-20
Territorians were treated with contempt by the Chief Minister over the past two months since he first became aware that there were difficulties concerning the railway. The Chief Minister knew of these difficulties in December but he didn’t tell Territorians until the end of January.The member for Braitling has said that the Chief Minister had not been open and honest in his communication about the railway.
Will he now undertake to keep Territorians accurately and honestly informed as to the progress of negotiations in the lead-up to financial close, and I ask him how he intends to do that?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I intend to keep Territorians absolutely and adequately informed on all issues with regard to the railway except, of course, those issues that are not appropriate to be run in the media. There are some things that all Territorians understand are inappropriate to be run in the media.
If one looks at the comments I have made consistently about this project, particularly since the shortfall of funding and the withdrawal of one potential investor has been known, I say on this day that all of my predictions and concerns have been borne out.
If we are talking about keeping Territorians informed, let’s get this straight. This is Clare Martin in October 1999 saying in a press release: ‘A Beazley Labor government would have committed up to $300m for the project and Territorians would have not have been forced to dig so deep’. Martin of 27 October 1999: ‘Kim Beazley has stood by his commitment of up to $300m for the project; John Howard should at least match that’. 18 October 1999 Clare Martin: ‘Federal Labor Leader Kim Beazley has committed up to $300m for the project; John Howard should at least match Kim Beazley’s commitment’. On ABC Drive Time on 13 February this year, this is what Martin said to the reporter: ‘Its just a very important project. $70m John Howard, that’s what we want from you. Kim Beazley has made the Labor commitment of up to $300m. John Howard should be matching that and matching it now. Kim Beazley is the biggest supporter of the railway and that is an absolute rock bottom commitment’. She goes on and on undertaking that this is Beazley’s opinion, this is what Beazley will do. ‘Have you spoken to Beazley?’, asks the reporter. ‘No, not lately’, is the answer. As the interview finishes the reporter says, ‘Just after I finished that interview with Clare Martin I had a return phone call from Labor Leader Kim Beazley’s office. We rang him to find out whether that commitment of $300m was still there. As far as Kim Beazley is concerned, his office said that they will no longer put a precise figure on their railway funding’.
The reporter said, ‘Pretty interesting statement that came out of Kim Beazley’s office’.
If it comes to keeping Territorians informed, if it comes to telling the truth to Territorians about the project, then the truth is coming from this Chief Minister and this side of the House. The truth is to keep Territorians informed as to where the project is going and what difficulties the project may have had. As I stand here today, I can say to Territorians that I anticipate no further problems with this project as it moves rapidly down to financial close and construction gets underway.
The great lie is to suggest to Territorians, as the Labor Party has done, that the Territory government or the Commonwealth government or the South Australian government were somehow responsible for the consortium finding its own private finances, and that has always been a lie. That has been what the Labor Party has consistently run in order to undermine this project.
Will he now undertake to keep Territorians accurately and honestly informed as to the progress of negotiations in the lead-up to financial close, and I ask him how he intends to do that?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I intend to keep Territorians absolutely and adequately informed on all issues with regard to the railway except, of course, those issues that are not appropriate to be run in the media. There are some things that all Territorians understand are inappropriate to be run in the media.
If one looks at the comments I have made consistently about this project, particularly since the shortfall of funding and the withdrawal of one potential investor has been known, I say on this day that all of my predictions and concerns have been borne out.
If we are talking about keeping Territorians informed, let’s get this straight. This is Clare Martin in October 1999 saying in a press release: ‘A Beazley Labor government would have committed up to $300m for the project and Territorians would have not have been forced to dig so deep’. Martin of 27 October 1999: ‘Kim Beazley has stood by his commitment of up to $300m for the project; John Howard should at least match that’. 18 October 1999 Clare Martin: ‘Federal Labor Leader Kim Beazley has committed up to $300m for the project; John Howard should at least match Kim Beazley’s commitment’. On ABC Drive Time on 13 February this year, this is what Martin said to the reporter: ‘Its just a very important project. $70m John Howard, that’s what we want from you. Kim Beazley has made the Labor commitment of up to $300m. John Howard should be matching that and matching it now. Kim Beazley is the biggest supporter of the railway and that is an absolute rock bottom commitment’. She goes on and on undertaking that this is Beazley’s opinion, this is what Beazley will do. ‘Have you spoken to Beazley?’, asks the reporter. ‘No, not lately’, is the answer. As the interview finishes the reporter says, ‘Just after I finished that interview with Clare Martin I had a return phone call from Labor Leader Kim Beazley’s office. We rang him to find out whether that commitment of $300m was still there. As far as Kim Beazley is concerned, his office said that they will no longer put a precise figure on their railway funding’.
The reporter said, ‘Pretty interesting statement that came out of Kim Beazley’s office’.
If it comes to keeping Territorians informed, if it comes to telling the truth to Territorians about the project, then the truth is coming from this Chief Minister and this side of the House. The truth is to keep Territorians informed as to where the project is going and what difficulties the project may have had. As I stand here today, I can say to Territorians that I anticipate no further problems with this project as it moves rapidly down to financial close and construction gets underway.
The great lie is to suggest to Territorians, as the Labor Party has done, that the Territory government or the Commonwealth government or the South Australian government were somehow responsible for the consortium finding its own private finances, and that has always been a lie. That has been what the Labor Party has consistently run in order to undermine this project.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016