❓ Opposition MP Krsticevic questions Minister Templeman about alleged misleading statements regarding negotiations with Picabar. Templeman denies misleading Parliament, stating an offer was made and accepted for Picabar to continue trading while a long-term lease is negotiated.
AnsweredQoN 837Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PICABAR
837. Mr A. KRSTICEVIC to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
(1) Why did the
minister mislead Parliament yesterday when he stated that negotiations are
occurring with Picabar until the end of March, given the owners have sent the
opposition correspondence that states, ''We didn't hear about
the 31 March deadline until parliament yesterday'' and they said that
any reference to negotiating a lease is incorrect?
(2) If the
minister continues to assert an offer of a lease until March to Picabar was
made, who made that offer and on what date?
837. Mr A. KRSTICEVIC to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
(1) Why did the
minister mislead Parliament yesterday when he stated that negotiations are
occurring with Picabar until the end of March, given the owners have sent the
opposition correspondence that states, ''We didn't hear about
the 31 March deadline until parliament yesterday'' and they said that
any reference to negotiating a lease is incorrect?
(2) If the
minister continues to assert an offer of a lease until March to Picabar was
made, who made that offer and on what date?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(2) As
the member is well aware, this issue has been going on for a long time. You did
not fix it, but that is fine; we are going to fix it! You sat there on your
hands and did nothing—you did nothing but we are going fix it! Tomorrow
I am going to meet with Mr Buckley, but I will tell you this: if the member
looks at what was said, the offer was made last Friday for a licence for the
operator and it was confirmed by Mr Buckley on 26 October, last week —
We
accept your offer to stay in place between 14 November and the completion of
the EOI process. Thank you. Please note however that we do not accept
the validity of the EOI process and reserve all of our rights.
�That is
understandable; it is a business and they have a right to argue their case. But
they have been offered and they have accepted that they can continue to trade
into next year. We will sit down with them and talk about the options.
Mr A. Krsticevic : Is it until
31 March?
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine!
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : Well, 31 March
is the date that we are offering, but if it is beyond that, it is beyond that.
The simple fact is it is untrue for the member to say there was no confirmation
that there was an acceptance of a deed of licence. That deed is now being drawn
up.
Mr A. Krsticevic : Have they
got it?
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : It is now being drawn up. There are
negotiations happening between the Perth Theatre Trust and these—so the
member's assertion is wrong. Again, this points out the fact that we
have an important tenancy in a state-owned building that has heritage
connotations or considerations, and before any long-term lease is signed all
the elements need to be considered. I am happy to sit down with them, as I will
do tomorrow and come from their case, but the assertion the member makes is
incorrect. According to —
Mr A. Krsticevic : According
to them!
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : There are
lots of conversations going on around, but according to the meeting that was
held last week, there was an agreement: ''We accept your offer to stay
in place.''
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine!
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member
has been asserting it is going to close on 14 November, but that is not true,
because they say here —
We accept your offer to stay in place
between 14 November and the completion of the EOI process.
We are going to sit down and talk to
them. We are going to solve this problem of the long-term lease because you
could not! You could not do a thing, because you were lazy! I have got to tell
the member this: he might want to go and talk to the former Minister for
Culture and the Arts about this because he would also, I am sure, assert that
this has been an ongoing issue that is complex and has been going on for too
long, and all issues need to be considered. The member wants us to go and sign
a 10-year lease—sign it up! Do I do that on behalf of the state? No, I do
not do anything of that nature until we make sure that all the issues are
canvassed. That is what a sensible, transparent process is. If the member wants
to go down the road of a process that is non-transparent, which is what he is
arguing, then, sorry, that is not going to happen.
The SPEAKER : Through the
Chair, minister.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I will
meet with them tomorrow; we will have a conversation. We know, according to
what I am aware of, that Picabar, as it is known—it is its business
name, and I accept and acknowledge that—will continue to operate. We
will then, in the interim period, work out the long-term future for that
tenancy and also those other tenancy elements that will be essential activation
elements of the Perth Cultural Centre going forward.
Tabling of Paper
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE :
Mr Speaker, during the minister's answer he referred to aspects of a contract
or something. I am asking, if that is an official document, whether it could be
tabled?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Hold on, I will
rule on it. Is it an official document?
Mr D.A.
TEMPLEMAN : No.
The SPEAKER : It is not a point
of order, member.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I am happy
to table the quote, Mr Speaker.
[See paper 1990.]
(1)–(2) As
the member is well aware, this issue has been going on for a long time. You did
not fix it, but that is fine; we are going to fix it! You sat there on your
hands and did nothing—you did nothing but we are going fix it! Tomorrow
I am going to meet with Mr Buckley, but I will tell you this: if the member
looks at what was said, the offer was made last Friday for a licence for the
operator and it was confirmed by Mr Buckley on 26 October, last week —
We
accept your offer to stay in place between 14 November and the completion of
the EOI process. Thank you. Please note however that we do not accept
the validity of the EOI process and reserve all of our rights.
�That is
understandable; it is a business and they have a right to argue their case. But
they have been offered and they have accepted that they can continue to trade
into next year. We will sit down with them and talk about the options.
Mr A. Krsticevic : Is it until
31 March?
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine!
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : Well, 31 March
is the date that we are offering, but if it is beyond that, it is beyond that.
The simple fact is it is untrue for the member to say there was no confirmation
that there was an acceptance of a deed of licence. That deed is now being drawn
up.
Mr A. Krsticevic : Have they
got it?
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : It is now being drawn up. There are
negotiations happening between the Perth Theatre Trust and these—so the
member's assertion is wrong. Again, this points out the fact that we
have an important tenancy in a state-owned building that has heritage
connotations or considerations, and before any long-term lease is signed all
the elements need to be considered. I am happy to sit down with them, as I will
do tomorrow and come from their case, but the assertion the member makes is
incorrect. According to —
Mr A. Krsticevic : According
to them!
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : There are
lots of conversations going on around, but according to the meeting that was
held last week, there was an agreement: ''We accept your offer to stay
in place.''
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine!
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member
has been asserting it is going to close on 14 November, but that is not true,
because they say here —
We accept your offer to stay in place
between 14 November and the completion of the EOI process.
We are going to sit down and talk to
them. We are going to solve this problem of the long-term lease because you
could not! You could not do a thing, because you were lazy! I have got to tell
the member this: he might want to go and talk to the former Minister for
Culture and the Arts about this because he would also, I am sure, assert that
this has been an ongoing issue that is complex and has been going on for too
long, and all issues need to be considered. The member wants us to go and sign
a 10-year lease—sign it up! Do I do that on behalf of the state? No, I do
not do anything of that nature until we make sure that all the issues are
canvassed. That is what a sensible, transparent process is. If the member wants
to go down the road of a process that is non-transparent, which is what he is
arguing, then, sorry, that is not going to happen.
The SPEAKER : Through the
Chair, minister.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I will
meet with them tomorrow; we will have a conversation. We know, according to
what I am aware of, that Picabar, as it is known—it is its business
name, and I accept and acknowledge that—will continue to operate. We
will then, in the interim period, work out the long-term future for that
tenancy and also those other tenancy elements that will be essential activation
elements of the Perth Cultural Centre going forward.
Tabling of Paper
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE :
Mr Speaker, during the minister's answer he referred to aspects of a contract
or something. I am asking, if that is an official document, whether it could be
tabled?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Hold on, I will
rule on it. Is it an official document?
Mr D.A.
TEMPLEMAN : No.
The SPEAKER : It is not a point
of order, member.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I am happy
to table the quote, Mr Speaker.
[See paper 1990.]
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