A member of parliament questions the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure about soil testing for the South West Metropolitan Railway tunnel. The Minister deflects, claiming the question is ridiculous and requires prior notice, but states the government is happy to provide the results.

AnsweredQoN 518Legislative Assembly
Asked
18 March 2003
Portfolio
Planning and Infrastructure

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the minister’s media statement on 5 January in which she stated that the soil testing that was being carried out along the Perth foreshore and in the central business district to assess the strength of the ground and soil conditions along the route of the south west metropolitan railway tunnel would be completed by the first week in February. I ask - (1) Has the soil testing process been completed; if so, are the results publicly available? (2) Will the minister undertake to provide the House with the full and complete results of the testing; if not, why not? (3) Are additional costs for the construction of the tunnel anticipated as a result of this testing? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN

AnswerView source ↗

(1)-(3) That is a ridiculous question. It is the type of technical question of which one would expect some notice. I am more than happy to give that information, but it is a matter of considerable detail. The Government advised on the commencement of the testing in its press release and is quite happy to provide the results. I have no doubt that the process has been completed; however, it is quite obvious that I cannot recite all the results. It is about time that members opposite grew up and gave notice of this type of question.
(1) Has the soil testing process been completed; if so, are the results publicly available? (2) Will the minister undertake to provide the House with the full and complete results of the testing; if not, why not? (3) Are additional costs for the construction of the tunnel anticipated as a result of this testing? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(3) That is a ridiculous question. It is the type of technical question of which one would expect some notice. I am more than happy to give that information, but it is a matter of considerable detail. The Government advised on the commencement of the testing in its press release and is quite happy to provide the results. I have no doubt that the process has been completed; however, it is quite obvious that I cannot recite all the results. It is about time that members opposite grew up and gave notice of this type of question.
(2) Will the minister undertake to provide the House with the full and complete results of the testing; if not, why not? (3) Are additional costs for the construction of the tunnel anticipated as a result of this testing? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(3) That is a ridiculous question. It is the type of technical question of which one would expect some notice. I am more than happy to give that information, but it is a matter of considerable detail. The Government advised on the commencement of the testing in its press release and is quite happy to provide the results. I have no doubt that the process has been completed; however, it is quite obvious that I cannot recite all the results. It is about time that members opposite grew up and gave notice of this type of question.
(3) Are additional costs for the construction of the tunnel anticipated as a result of this testing? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(3) That is a ridiculous question. It is the type of technical question of which one would expect some notice. I am more than happy to give that information, but it is a matter of considerable detail. The Government advised on the commencement of the testing in its press release and is quite happy to provide the results. I have no doubt that the process has been completed; however, it is quite obvious that I cannot recite all the results. It is about time that members opposite grew up and gave notice of this type of question.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(3) That is a ridiculous question. It is the type of technical question of which one would expect some notice. I am more than happy to give that information, but it is a matter of considerable detail. The Government advised on the commencement of the testing in its press release and is quite happy to provide the results. I have no doubt that the process has been completed; however, it is quite obvious that I cannot recite all the results. It is about time that members opposite grew up and gave notice of this type of question.
(1)-(3) That is a ridiculous question. It is the type of technical question of which one would expect some notice. I am more than happy to give that information, but it is a matter of considerable detail. The Government advised on the commencement of the testing in its press release and is quite happy to provide the results. I have no doubt that the process has been completed; however, it is quite obvious that I cannot recite all the results. It is about time that members opposite grew up and gave notice of this type of question.

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