Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Northern Territory government is responsible for the management and the delivery of the Palmerston Regional Hospital project. Under the agreement, the Commonwealth makes payments against agreed and achieved milestones for that project. The Commonwealth is not involved in the day-to-day operations of the project. The most recent payment was $35 million for the commenced construction milestone, which was paid on 7 October 2015 and had nothing to do with the first concrete pour of the project, the stairwell fittings that occurred last Friday.

As reported by department officials in yesterday's Senate estimates hearings, the Northern Territory government provided a range of evidence in relation to achievement of this milestone. This included but is not limited to Lend Lease being engaged as the managing contractor; early design documentation; project schedules; Lend Lease joining the design team, with formal novation of the design team to Lend Lease occurring in September; and commencement of work on on-site clearing and remediation.

There is no doubt that Senator Peris is the puppet of her staffer running for the seat of Solomon and is the one who is staging political stunts, hysterically claiming the Commonwealth has paid $56 million for a covered-up hole, which is a lie. Senator Peris has become an expert in construction! Instead of rationally getting the facts from Lend Lease or anybody else, she has made outrageous claims of fraud by the Commonwealth, which is another lie. Here is a message for Senator Peris and her puppeteer: Lend Lease are the site managers and have responsibility for ensuring the safety of the site; how they do that is a matter for them, not for you, Senator Peris, as a politician.

There were concerns about unauthorised access resulting in serious injury. Did you want them to ignore that, Senator Peris? That is the major question. Lend Lease have an excellent reputation for building hospitals across the country, and that is one of the reasons why they were selected. Senator Peris, if you were ever in Darwin, you would note all the roadworks and other activities associated with the hospital's construction—but that's right; you are never there. Stop your scaremongering and your political stunts. The Palmerston hospital is being built, and there is nothing you can do about it.

There is one last point. Under the current agreement between the Northern Territory government and the Commonwealth, the next payment of $20 million will be paid upon completion of the building base, which is due in May 2016. I suppose that there will be another political stunt by you, Senator Peris, orchestrated by your puppeteer. Senator Peris, if you really care about your community, why don't you try living there?