LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sir – Are there signs of a backflip on the hospital multi storey car park?
After I tabled a petition signed by 1112 Alice Springs residents calling for the car park the government announced that they would build it at a cost of $11m.
But yesterday in Question Time the Minister for Health, Natasha Fyles, refused to provide any details including when construction would start.
Minister Fyles went as far as questioning the funding of $11m announced by the Member for Braitling and the Member for Namatjira on July 6 (Advocate, July 11), raising doubt that the Government will allocate this amount of funding.
Minister Fyles said (taken from the Hansard transcript): “In terms of the figure, the Member for Araluen likes to make things up and she has clearly made up that figure of $11m.”
We have seen the Gunner Government backflip on their decision to build a new $35m Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre; a National Indigenous Cultural Centre; and after three years there is no progress on even securing a site to build the $50m National Indigenous Art Gallery.
My fear is that this Government is turning their back on Alice Springs. This would be very bad news. I hope I am wrong!
Robyn Lambley (pictured)
Independent Member for Araluen
Thursday, April 18, 2024
The freedom of the press still furnishes that check upon government which no constitution has ever been able to provide – Chicago Tribune.
Ahh Robyn, the Government has been neglecting Alice for the past few years.
There always seems to be big money spent on the Darwin every five minutes (case in point the announced boat lift).
When was the last time a big project was promoted and completed in Alice … and I don’t mean the overpass or North Stuart Highway lane upgrade that no one asked for and seem pointless.
The Government seem to dangle carrots for the people of Alice with no intension of delivering.
The hospital carpark is a no-brainer, anyone who has been to the hospital for anything knows of the pain of parking there.
Also how about the Minister talk about the idea in meaningful way instead of just trying to be a bully and trying to make fun of people.
I’m sick of how our politicians think its OK to make fun of opposition ideas and comments and vice versa. Can we all be adults and not try to bully others?
No money, no honey. Goodbye Alice Springs.
How can they spend $11m for a hospital car park in Alice when they are spending $12m on building a grand stand / club at Darwin Turf Club which will only be full on one day per year?
Just shows where their priorities are – not here!
Yea, my comment was “What Tha” when I heard about the turf club, I thought NT was broke, then I thought there must be a personal reason for such a ridiculous spend of money.
This letter oozes with hypocrisy.
First things first, this problem with carparking at the hospital is a problem now just like it was two years ago when you were the Minister for Health in the previous CLP government and the number two in that Government.
You literally had the resources and the position to fix it and instead you didn’t and now your winging that it isn’t fixed! Frankly, Robyn, I would be cautious of throwing stones considering the fragility of your own glasshouse on this one.