Mr MANZIE - 1994-11-29
Mr MANZIE (Transport and Works): Mr Speaker, I have some further information regarding a question that the Leader of the Opposition asked me about State Square this morning. I refer him to page 791 of the Parliamentary Record for 23 November 1988 in which the then Minister for Transport and Works gave a very succinct reply on what a fixed price is. He was asked by the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Stuart: 'Has a fixed price for State Square project been arrived at and, if so, what is it?' Obviously, he has forgotten the answer that he was given. I believe it is worth while to read it to him because he ...
Mr Ede: Was it different from the answer given before?
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Mr MANZIE: There is a little more. The minister said: 'I note that this is a question that the Leader of the Opposition posed yesterday'. Thus, he had asked the question twice. There must have been a third time, but he found it too difficult to wait around to hear the answer. The minister said:
Quite simply, if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition or the absent Leader of the Opposition had listened to the
debate and taken note of what has been presented to them over a long period about the fixed fee, they would
realise quite simply that the fixed fee is arrived at when all of the subcontract packages have been tendered
on, accepted and summarised - that is, added together, for the benefit of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
That would then form what would be a fixed price that would be non-variable by rise and fall and which would
remain for the duration of the project unless, of course, the government saw fit to amend the extent of the work
or other such matters that would form a legitimate variation at our demand. With that exception, the price would
remain constant for the duration of the project.
Mr Speaker, there is a little more because, obviously again, the Leader of the Opposition has a ...
Mr Bailey: When was that supposed to be completed by? The rise and falls that have appeared since are over and above that ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: ... so that with ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member for Wanguri.
Mr MANZIE: The Leader of the Opposition asked also that this matter be examined by the Public Accounts Committee. Obviously, his memory has slipped again. I refer him to Public Accounts Committee report No 21, appendix 2, which is actually the minutes of a Public Accounts Committee hearing. At that time, the committee comprised the chairman, Mr Palmer, and Mr Bailey, Mr McCarthy, Mr Parish and Mr Setter. Appearing before the committee were representatives from the Department of Transport and Works - the Deputy Secretary, Mr Bill Steel, the State Square Project Officer, Mr Peter McGuinn, the State Square quantity surveyor, Mr Michael Davis, and the Finance Manager, Mr Jim Dunn. Those minutes have been released publicly and tabled in this House. I refer the Leader of the Opposition to those minutes because those officers answered fairly extensive questions on the fixed price relating to the State Square project. I believe the Leader of the Opposition will see from those minutes that the PAC has examined that matter and that the answers have been provided by officers.
I believe the Leader of the Opposition is attempting to cause a mischief here because I am sure that he would not have forgotten that the PAC actually questioned departmental staff. I am sure that he has read those minutes, although he may have forgotten them. I will certainly give him the benefit of the doubt in that regard, but I believe it would be beneficial for all if he read through those minutes and ceased attempting to regurgitate old headlines. Certainly, it
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would serve the Territory better if he stuck to what has happened in the past and did not attempt to repeat things. Whilst his being caught in a time warp might be attractive to us in terms of running for election, it is not beneficial to the Territory. It serves no purpose to raise the same matters time and again and have the same answers provided. I remind members again that the PAC has inquired into that fixed price and that the minutes of that hearing are on the public record.
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Mr Ede: Was it different from the answer given before?
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Mr MANZIE: There is a little more. The minister said: 'I note that this is a question that the Leader of the Opposition posed yesterday'. Thus, he had asked the question twice. There must have been a third time, but he found it too difficult to wait around to hear the answer. The minister said:
Quite simply, if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition or the absent Leader of the Opposition had listened to the
debate and taken note of what has been presented to them over a long period about the fixed fee, they would
realise quite simply that the fixed fee is arrived at when all of the subcontract packages have been tendered
on, accepted and summarised - that is, added together, for the benefit of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
That would then form what would be a fixed price that would be non-variable by rise and fall and which would
remain for the duration of the project unless, of course, the government saw fit to amend the extent of the work
or other such matters that would form a legitimate variation at our demand. With that exception, the price would
remain constant for the duration of the project.
Mr Speaker, there is a little more because, obviously again, the Leader of the Opposition has a ...
Mr Bailey: When was that supposed to be completed by? The rise and falls that have appeared since are over and above that ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: ... so that with ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member for Wanguri.
Mr MANZIE: The Leader of the Opposition asked also that this matter be examined by the Public Accounts Committee. Obviously, his memory has slipped again. I refer him to Public Accounts Committee report No 21, appendix 2, which is actually the minutes of a Public Accounts Committee hearing. At that time, the committee comprised the chairman, Mr Palmer, and Mr Bailey, Mr McCarthy, Mr Parish and Mr Setter. Appearing before the committee were representatives from the Department of Transport and Works - the Deputy Secretary, Mr Bill Steel, the State Square Project Officer, Mr Peter McGuinn, the State Square quantity surveyor, Mr Michael Davis, and the Finance Manager, Mr Jim Dunn. Those minutes have been released publicly and tabled in this House. I refer the Leader of the Opposition to those minutes because those officers answered fairly extensive questions on the fixed price relating to the State Square project. I believe the Leader of the Opposition will see from those minutes that the PAC has examined that matter and that the answers have been provided by officers.
I believe the Leader of the Opposition is attempting to cause a mischief here because I am sure that he would not have forgotten that the PAC actually questioned departmental staff. I am sure that he has read those minutes, although he may have forgotten them. I will certainly give him the benefit of the doubt in that regard, but I believe it would be beneficial for all if he read through those minutes and ceased attempting to regurgitate old headlines. Certainly, it
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would serve the Territory better if he stuck to what has happened in the past and did not attempt to repeat things. Whilst his being caught in a time warp might be attractive to us in terms of running for election, it is not beneficial to the Territory. It serves no purpose to raise the same matters time and again and have the same answers provided. I remind members again that the PAC has inquired into that fixed price and that the minutes of that hearing are on the public record.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016