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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-02-03 Daily Xml
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SPORTS STADIUM

Mr KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (14:51): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier tell the house whether he would take the advice of the Leader of the Opposition and build a stadium instead of a hospital in the railway yards at the end of North Terrace?

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:51): I have some breaking news. Do you remember how we have been told that we must have a brand new stadium like Western Australia's stadium? Do you know how they have been telling us—the Liberals and others (their fellow travellers)—that we have to have a stadium like Western Australia's giant new proposed stadium: that is what this state needs?

We have heard many versions of what the leader would like to do with the rail-yard land at the end of North Terrace, but the common theme at the present time (and, of course, it always may change again) is that he wants to build a massive stadium on that site. One report says that he commissioned consultants who told him a sports stadium could be built there for about $520 million. The anonymous consultants' report apparently (according to the opposition) exposed the $1 billion price tag for a stadium as a 'scare tactic'.

The $520 million stadium—the Liberals' $520 million stadium, the centrepiece of their policy for the next election—would, according to the leader, be built to FIFA World Cup standards, have the ability to close the roof, seating for 50,000 people, corporate facilities and car parking for at least 2,500 people and conference facilities for at least 1,000 people, and be able to accommodate AFL footy, soccer, rugby and cricket. It could be an oval, it could be a rectangle or it could be a circle. Who knows—it could be a velodrome as well! So, that is quite a stadium. It is no wonder the consultants refuse to have their names published and that the Liberals refuse to release the costings.

The government would welcome any approach by anyone who wants to fund and build a stadium of that kind, but not on that site. Needless to say, not one approach has been made to this government to fund any such project. No-one has come to me with such an offer. We keep hearing that the Liberals know of these people who say, 'Have I got the money for you! I will give you the money if you build the stadium.' I reckon Craig Caldicott must be writing his press releases. The leader has taken great—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: That is very defamatory of Mr Caldicott, I know, to suggest that he is writing the fairy tales for the Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition has taken great comfort from the Western Australian government's announcement that it would build a stadium—which was becoming increasingly unlikely as it became obvious that the cost of it would be well in excess of $1.1 billion. That is what we have been told. We have been told in editorials and by commentators and the Liberals to follow Western Australia's lead. Today I am announcing that we have decided to follow Western Australia's lead in response to building a stadium. We have decided to follow the Liberals' lead in Western Australia. Today, Premier Colin Barnett announced that projects such as a football stadium to replace Subiaco Oval could not be justified when compared with services such as a hospital.

Do you remember that, when I said that we will go to the people at the next election and they can make a choice between the Liberals' stadium and our $1.7 billion world-class hospital, we had sneers from the opposition because they thought they were onto a winner. 'Just look over to Western Australia,' they cried.

Well, let me just say this. The following is a quote from Premier Barnett, the Liberal Premier of Western Australia, reported in today's media: '...the government makes no apology for putting schools and hospitals ahead of a new football stadium.' Like this government, the Liberal Barnett government has decided that its capital works priorities should be based on providing jobs and investment and delivering better services to the community. At least the Western Australian Liberal leader has a grip on what the people expect of their state governments and delivery of services and economic stimulus.

Unfortunately for the Liberal leader sitting opposite, he is yet to work out what he wants, but he does promise to make some announcement soon. Does this mean that we will get version No. 6 or 7, or even 8, of what he has already announced in terms of his stadium proposal, or his firm commitment to relocating the Keswick Railway Station so that our national rail runs underneath the stadium, and so on and so on?

Apparently, on the eve of the election, he is going to say, 'Trust me. Don't believe anything that I've said to you so far. Don't cost what I've said so far, because all the things I've said in the previous four years are non-core promises. Only believe what I say from today onwards.' While he was on the catwalk in New York, a lot of people from Frome to Adelaide were saying, 'When does he mean what he says and when does he say what he means?'

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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