❓ Opposition Leader McGowan questions Premier Barnett about a reported $200 million cost increase for the Perth major sports stadium. Barnett refuses to investigate, leading to a heated exchange about transparency and decorum.
AnsweredQoN 422Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PERTH MAJOR SPORTS STADIUM — TOTAL
COST
422. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Will the Premier undertake to this house to investigate this matter and get
back to this house and advise whether or not there has been an increase in the
cost of the stadium of $200 million this week?
COST
422. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Will the Premier undertake to this house to investigate this matter and get
back to this house and advise whether or not there has been an increase in the
cost of the stadium of $200 million this week?
AnswerView source ↗
No, I will not. I am not going to do
the research for the Leader of the Opposition. If he thinks he is onto some
gold-letter political issue, he can go out and do his own research. The state
government —
Mr
M. McGowan : I am asking you a question.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Go and do your own research; do not come here and say, ''Can
you do my research for me?'' Which fence is he sitting on this time?
What an absolute joke!
I make it clear that this project is
a major investment by the state of Western Australia. It will be a world-class
stadium of 60 000 seats, capable of going up to 70 000 or 80 000 seats. It will
have state-of-the-art facilities and technologies, and the highest standard of
comfort for spectators at events. We are not rushing this; we are doing it
properly every step of the way. We are now coming to the point at which final
specification, final architectural design and the tender process will get
underway.
Ms M.M. Quirk : All that detail, and you do not know
the cost, Premier.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : We have not got to that detail, sunshine! We are not at that
point yet. We have a way to go, but when we get to that point and when we make
a decision —
Point of Order
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I
believe that members are supposed to be referred to by their electorate, and
not by terms like ''sunshine'', and that that language is
inappropriate in this house.
The
SPEAKER : The Premier knows the rules of this place, and when he
refers to others in this place, he will refer to them by the seat they occupy.
That is the instruction I provide.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Thank you, Mr Speaker. It was very
errant of me.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Apologise!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
guarantee that I would never call you ''sunshine''! You are such
a sour, sour member of Parliament—you would get ''lemon''
or something like that.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
You have no dignity or decorum.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Come on! If you want to talk about comments, look at the Hansard and what happened last night. If you think ''sunshine''
or ''lemon'' are offensive, look at what happened last night!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Order, members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Some of the steps to come will involve
determining the layout on the peninsula, and the final design, and then we will
actually get to the tender process—and then we will know the cost.
Before that stage, we will give a projected cost, but we are not yet at that
stage. In the coming weeks, we will be —
Mr M. McGowan : It's
all very secretive.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Secretive! This government has
provided progressive, at least six-monthly, perhaps even more frequent, updates
publicly and to the media with special briefings on the progress of the
stadium. At every single stage, we have provided information, and we will
continue to do so at further stages. I will tell you what: when we have got to
that stage, I will even offer the opposition a briefing if it would like one.
the research for the Leader of the Opposition. If he thinks he is onto some
gold-letter political issue, he can go out and do his own research. The state
government —
Mr
M. McGowan : I am asking you a question.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Go and do your own research; do not come here and say, ''Can
you do my research for me?'' Which fence is he sitting on this time?
What an absolute joke!
I make it clear that this project is
a major investment by the state of Western Australia. It will be a world-class
stadium of 60 000 seats, capable of going up to 70 000 or 80 000 seats. It will
have state-of-the-art facilities and technologies, and the highest standard of
comfort for spectators at events. We are not rushing this; we are doing it
properly every step of the way. We are now coming to the point at which final
specification, final architectural design and the tender process will get
underway.
Ms M.M. Quirk : All that detail, and you do not know
the cost, Premier.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : We have not got to that detail, sunshine! We are not at that
point yet. We have a way to go, but when we get to that point and when we make
a decision —
Point of Order
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I
believe that members are supposed to be referred to by their electorate, and
not by terms like ''sunshine'', and that that language is
inappropriate in this house.
The
SPEAKER : The Premier knows the rules of this place, and when he
refers to others in this place, he will refer to them by the seat they occupy.
That is the instruction I provide.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Thank you, Mr Speaker. It was very
errant of me.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Apologise!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
guarantee that I would never call you ''sunshine''! You are such
a sour, sour member of Parliament—you would get ''lemon''
or something like that.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
You have no dignity or decorum.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Come on! If you want to talk about comments, look at the Hansard and what happened last night. If you think ''sunshine''
or ''lemon'' are offensive, look at what happened last night!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Order, members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Some of the steps to come will involve
determining the layout on the peninsula, and the final design, and then we will
actually get to the tender process—and then we will know the cost.
Before that stage, we will give a projected cost, but we are not yet at that
stage. In the coming weeks, we will be —
Mr M. McGowan : It's
all very secretive.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Secretive! This government has
provided progressive, at least six-monthly, perhaps even more frequent, updates
publicly and to the media with special briefings on the progress of the
stadium. At every single stage, we have provided information, and we will
continue to do so at further stages. I will tell you what: when we have got to
that stage, I will even offer the opposition a briefing if it would like one.
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