Mr EDE - 1994-06-30
Mr EDE: Mr Speaker, that is absolutely outrageous. The minister knows or, if he does not himself know - I know that he does not take much interest in the transport and works portfolio - he can ask the person next to him ...
Mr SPEAKER: Is the Leader of the Opposition asking a question?
Mr EDE: I am directing a question to the Minister for Transport and Works. I point out to him that 'the date of handover' is a fairly simple procedure which is well known in every contract. Can the minister provide us with the date on which it is expected that the Parliament House will be handed over? We have to accept now that he does not have a clue as to how much it will cost, but perhaps he could provide a date that is within a week or so of the expected completion. We have overrun a number of dates already. Mr Speaker, your predecessor said that this Parliament House would be opened 2 years ago, but we still do not have a date. Will the minister please provide us with a date?
Page 24
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I repeat that the building will be opened officially on 18 August. The member can roll his eyes around if he likes.
Mr Bailey: Contracts have completion dates. Give us that date, not the official opening date.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: Perhaps the Leader of the Opposition could direct his question to the member of Wanguri.
Mr Bailey: I probably could answer it better than you.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: The building will be opened officially on 18 August. Whether the official handover date will be on 17 August, 15 August or 31 July, I do not know. I do not intend to nail the date to one precise day. I never have and I never will. I would like members opposite to name a public building of such size that has ever met the date of completion where that has been specified. I think that the ...
Mr Bailey: There has never been one on a fixed price contract, as this one was supposed to be.
Mr MANZIE: Information that we are moving into the building ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I advise the member for Wanguri that many people are listening to Question Time and no doubt they include people from his electorate. They are receiving a fairly good idea of their local member's manners.
Mr MANZIE: In relation to the cost estimates, the last official figure I have is $164.2m. That is for the entire State Square project, not Parliament House alone. The final cost will not be known until the project is totally completed, and that may take 12 months. There may be performance liquidated damages. There will be arguments over variations and prolongations. Hopefully, none of these will end in arbitration, but that may be the case. However, when that time is reached and the final costings are known, all members and the whole community will be told. There is no secret about this.
The fact is that members opposite have attempted very hard to impute impropriety, improper processes, cost blow-outs and shonky deals for some years. They are unable to base any of that on any facts, and I am surprised that they continue to attempt to create furphies at this late stage. I am sure that, if they wait, all these questions will be answered in the fullness of time.
Page 25
Mr SPEAKER: Is the Leader of the Opposition asking a question?
Mr EDE: I am directing a question to the Minister for Transport and Works. I point out to him that 'the date of handover' is a fairly simple procedure which is well known in every contract. Can the minister provide us with the date on which it is expected that the Parliament House will be handed over? We have to accept now that he does not have a clue as to how much it will cost, but perhaps he could provide a date that is within a week or so of the expected completion. We have overrun a number of dates already. Mr Speaker, your predecessor said that this Parliament House would be opened 2 years ago, but we still do not have a date. Will the minister please provide us with a date?
Page 24
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I repeat that the building will be opened officially on 18 August. The member can roll his eyes around if he likes.
Mr Bailey: Contracts have completion dates. Give us that date, not the official opening date.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: Perhaps the Leader of the Opposition could direct his question to the member of Wanguri.
Mr Bailey: I probably could answer it better than you.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: The building will be opened officially on 18 August. Whether the official handover date will be on 17 August, 15 August or 31 July, I do not know. I do not intend to nail the date to one precise day. I never have and I never will. I would like members opposite to name a public building of such size that has ever met the date of completion where that has been specified. I think that the ...
Mr Bailey: There has never been one on a fixed price contract, as this one was supposed to be.
Mr MANZIE: Information that we are moving into the building ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I advise the member for Wanguri that many people are listening to Question Time and no doubt they include people from his electorate. They are receiving a fairly good idea of their local member's manners.
Mr MANZIE: In relation to the cost estimates, the last official figure I have is $164.2m. That is for the entire State Square project, not Parliament House alone. The final cost will not be known until the project is totally completed, and that may take 12 months. There may be performance liquidated damages. There will be arguments over variations and prolongations. Hopefully, none of these will end in arbitration, but that may be the case. However, when that time is reached and the final costings are known, all members and the whole community will be told. There is no secret about this.
The fact is that members opposite have attempted very hard to impute impropriety, improper processes, cost blow-outs and shonky deals for some years. They are unable to base any of that on any facts, and I am surprised that they continue to attempt to create furphies at this late stage. I am sure that, if they wait, all these questions will be answered in the fullness of time.
Page 25
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016