'We still have to make a final decision': Barilaro on stadiums
The Deputy Premier, John Barilaro, has given a fresh indication that the government could wind back its policy to demolish and rebuild Sydney sporting stadiums, after he insisted “a final decision” still had to be made.
Mr Barilaro’s comments are at odds with the Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who was last week asked to guarantee she would pursue the controversial policy through to next year’s election.
“That is our intention, of course,” Ms Berejiklian said.
The Deputy Premier, John Barilaro, has cast fresh doubt over the government's stadium policy.
Photo: Jay CronanIn response to opposition questions in Parliament, Mr Barilaro indicated on Thursday that the $2.5 billion policy was not a done deal.
“Will there be more conversations in government in relation to stadiums, of course,” Mr Barilaro told Parliament on Thursday.
“It still has to come to ERC [expenditure review committee). I am a member of ERC, we still have to make a final decision.”
A senior government source said a revised stadiums proposal needed to go back to cabinet’s expenditure review committee because of “cost blowouts”.
A business case for the knockdown and rebuild of Allianz is being prepared and would go to cabinet first, followed by a “strategic business case” for ANZ, it is understood.
In November, the government announced it would spend more than $2 billion to replace Allianz Stadium at Moore Park and ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park. It was a significant increase on former premier Mike Baird's $1.6 billion stadium spending package.
Rebuilding ANZ stadium in Homebush is not a done deal.
The Opposition leader, Luke Foley, seized on Mr Barilaro’s comments, repeating his claim that “not one member of cabinet apart from [sports minister] Stuart Ayres will speak publicly in support of her stadiums splurge”.
“When is the Premier going to come clean and tell the public that she will capitulate on her stadiums policy, just as she has capitulated on so many other policies,” Mr Foley said.
“The Deputy Premier feels free to claim that a final stadiums policy decision has not yet been taken, despite it being announced three and a half months ago. “
Ms Berejiklian’s commitment to the policy came just days after the former fair trading minister Matthew Mason-Cox said it was difficult to justify spending so much on sporting stadiums when the state’s child-protection system was a “disgrace”.
Mr Mason-Cox was the first government MP to publicly declare that there was unrest within the Coalition about the wisdom of the stadium decision.
Alexandra Smith is the State Political Editor and a former Education Editor at the Sydney Morning Herald
Morning & Afternoon Newsletter
Delivered Mon–Fri.