❓ Shadow Treasurer Wyatt questions the Treasurer about the cost of public transport upgrades announced by the Minister for Transport related to the new Perth stadium. The Treasurer avoids providing specific cost figures, citing the need for a thorough business case and design process.
AnsweredQoN 37Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PERTH MAJOR SPORTS STADIUM — PUBLIC
TRANSPORT
37. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Treasurer:
I refer to the
comments in the Parliament yesterday from the Minister for Transport, when he
made a number of new commitments in respect of public transport around the new
stadium, including an upgraded Belmont station, the construction of a new
dedicated busport and a new pedestrian crossing across the river.
(1) How much will each of these items cost?
(2) What is the total cost of the stadium
with all these additions?
TRANSPORT
37. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Treasurer:
I refer to the
comments in the Parliament yesterday from the Minister for Transport, when he
made a number of new commitments in respect of public transport around the new
stadium, including an upgraded Belmont station, the construction of a new
dedicated busport and a new pedestrian crossing across the river.
(1) How much will each of these items cost?
(2) What is the total cost of the stadium
with all these additions?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the shadow Treasurer and shadow minister for cost of
living for his question. O n this side
of the house we go through a thorough business case and design process —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : But they've been announced by the
minister. He's announced it; he said he was going to do it. Is he no
longer going to do it?
Mr C.C. PORTER : The costs are determined as part of that
process through the business case and the design. The data approach is what I
call the arena approach. The arena approach is this: come up with an idea, cost
it straightaway —
Point of Order
Mr
B.S. WYATT : My question was
fairly specific. Yesterday, by way of dorothy dixer, the Minister for Transport
made announcements about projects he is committed to and I have simply asked
the Treasurer, not unreasonably, whether he can tell us the cost of those
projects. It is not a general question; it is quite specific.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria
Park, I think you make an excellent point; without interruption I am sure the
Treasurer will be able to answer those questions.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr C.C. PORTER : I am trying to do this by way of analogy.
The analogy is the arena.
Several members
interjected.
Mr C.C. PORTER : When we look back —
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Members in this house, the member for Victoria Park has
asked a question. He has then risen to his feet to raise a point of order in an
attempt to clarify that question. He is entitled to do those things. The
Treasurer is entitled to answer the question. I am sure the member for Victoria
Park would like to hear the answer. I ask members to stop interjecting so that
the Treasurer might answer.
Mr C.C. PORTER : By way of the arena analogy, I think the
first costings for the arena surfaced in about 2003. The minister in charge at
the time was asked that very same question. She was asked, ''Can you
tell me what the cost of the arena will be?'' Of course, this was only a
few weeks into the actual design and business case of the arena, and that
minister said, ''I can; I can answer that question—$160 million.''
That was the answer.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
Mr C.C. PORTER : What was interesting at that time —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank you, members!
Mr C.C. PORTER : — giving an answer to that question
and —
Mrs M.H. Roberts : You do not even know who the minister was.
The SPEAKER : Member for Midland!
Mr C.C. PORTER : — writing those costings into a
budget before a design and a business case means that we can answer the
question; it is just that our answer will be wrong. The answer was wrong when
the then Labor minister gave the answer of $160 million for the stadium,
because that answer then turned into $220 million, which turned into $480
million, which will now turn into in excess of half a billion for a 16 000-seat
stadium. What we do, shadow Treasurer, is announce a location and this is an
important part of —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : No; you announced a project. You announced
it.
Mr C.C. PORTER : The important part of working out the cost
of something is to first of all know where we are going to build it.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : This has nothing to do with where you are
going to build it.
Mr C.C. PORTER : The very strong position on the stadium
from the Leader of the Opposition was this: we absolutely do not believe it
should be built at Burswood and we will take the very strong position that it
should be built at either the old power station or —
Point of Order
Mr
B.S. WYATT : Again, I have
asked no question about the location of the stadium. My question is very
specific to announcements made by the Minister for Transport yesterday about
three particular projects. I ask you again to direct the Treasurer to come back
to telling the chamber what each one will cost.
The
SPEAKER : Before I do that, member for Victoria Park, I ask members
in this place on both sides to cease interjecting on this question or there
will be no answer to it.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr C.C. PORTER :
The costings will be the costings written into the budget, and those costings
are developed through location, design and business casing. The Labor Party
wrote costings into its budget based on the vibe—the feel of it—''The
arena, um, $160 million; we'll write that into the budget.'' But
interestingly, in anticipation of indicative costings, we have already started
saving money for the project. At last year's budget $100 million —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Is
that that figure called debt?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I
think that —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : How
much are you saving?
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park!
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for West Swan, I formally call you to order for the second time today.
Treasurer, if you want to answer the remainder of this question, I will give
you the opportunity. If members to my left wish to interject, there will
ultimately be no answer, as the member for Victoria Park has indicated.
Therefore, this is the Treasurer's final chance, and it is also the
final chance for members to my left to hear the answer. If there are
interjections, I will sit the Treasurer down.
Mr C.C. PORTER : In
summary we are busily and intently working through the process of finalising
costings through location, design and business casing. On the other side of the
house, Labor went through that process much faster because it did not engage in
it.
living for his question. O n this side
of the house we go through a thorough business case and design process —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : But they've been announced by the
minister. He's announced it; he said he was going to do it. Is he no
longer going to do it?
Mr C.C. PORTER : The costs are determined as part of that
process through the business case and the design. The data approach is what I
call the arena approach. The arena approach is this: come up with an idea, cost
it straightaway —
Point of Order
Mr
B.S. WYATT : My question was
fairly specific. Yesterday, by way of dorothy dixer, the Minister for Transport
made announcements about projects he is committed to and I have simply asked
the Treasurer, not unreasonably, whether he can tell us the cost of those
projects. It is not a general question; it is quite specific.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria
Park, I think you make an excellent point; without interruption I am sure the
Treasurer will be able to answer those questions.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr C.C. PORTER : I am trying to do this by way of analogy.
The analogy is the arena.
Several members
interjected.
Mr C.C. PORTER : When we look back —
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Members in this house, the member for Victoria Park has
asked a question. He has then risen to his feet to raise a point of order in an
attempt to clarify that question. He is entitled to do those things. The
Treasurer is entitled to answer the question. I am sure the member for Victoria
Park would like to hear the answer. I ask members to stop interjecting so that
the Treasurer might answer.
Mr C.C. PORTER : By way of the arena analogy, I think the
first costings for the arena surfaced in about 2003. The minister in charge at
the time was asked that very same question. She was asked, ''Can you
tell me what the cost of the arena will be?'' Of course, this was only a
few weeks into the actual design and business case of the arena, and that
minister said, ''I can; I can answer that question—$160 million.''
That was the answer.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
Mr C.C. PORTER : What was interesting at that time —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank you, members!
Mr C.C. PORTER : — giving an answer to that question
and —
Mrs M.H. Roberts : You do not even know who the minister was.
The SPEAKER : Member for Midland!
Mr C.C. PORTER : — writing those costings into a
budget before a design and a business case means that we can answer the
question; it is just that our answer will be wrong. The answer was wrong when
the then Labor minister gave the answer of $160 million for the stadium,
because that answer then turned into $220 million, which turned into $480
million, which will now turn into in excess of half a billion for a 16 000-seat
stadium. What we do, shadow Treasurer, is announce a location and this is an
important part of —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : No; you announced a project. You announced
it.
Mr C.C. PORTER : The important part of working out the cost
of something is to first of all know where we are going to build it.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : This has nothing to do with where you are
going to build it.
Mr C.C. PORTER : The very strong position on the stadium
from the Leader of the Opposition was this: we absolutely do not believe it
should be built at Burswood and we will take the very strong position that it
should be built at either the old power station or —
Point of Order
Mr
B.S. WYATT : Again, I have
asked no question about the location of the stadium. My question is very
specific to announcements made by the Minister for Transport yesterday about
three particular projects. I ask you again to direct the Treasurer to come back
to telling the chamber what each one will cost.
The
SPEAKER : Before I do that, member for Victoria Park, I ask members
in this place on both sides to cease interjecting on this question or there
will be no answer to it.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr C.C. PORTER :
The costings will be the costings written into the budget, and those costings
are developed through location, design and business casing. The Labor Party
wrote costings into its budget based on the vibe—the feel of it—''The
arena, um, $160 million; we'll write that into the budget.'' But
interestingly, in anticipation of indicative costings, we have already started
saving money for the project. At last year's budget $100 million —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Is
that that figure called debt?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I
think that —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : How
much are you saving?
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park!
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for West Swan, I formally call you to order for the second time today.
Treasurer, if you want to answer the remainder of this question, I will give
you the opportunity. If members to my left wish to interject, there will
ultimately be no answer, as the member for Victoria Park has indicated.
Therefore, this is the Treasurer's final chance, and it is also the
final chance for members to my left to hear the answer. If there are
interjections, I will sit the Treasurer down.
Mr C.C. PORTER : In
summary we are busily and intently working through the process of finalising
costings through location, design and business casing. On the other side of the
house, Labor went through that process much faster because it did not engage in
it.
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