Dubbo MP and leader of the Nationals, Dugald Saunders, clashed with Premier Chris Minns over the proposed Sports Hub during a heated question time on February 13, 2025.
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00:00Dubbo. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Premier, on December 18, 2024,
00:09your government announced the withdrawal of $33.3 million of funding from the Dubbo Sports Hub
00:14project. Will you commit to signing off on the variation to the project proposed by PCYC
00:21and supported by Minister Camper to reinstate funding to allow that project to proceed?
00:30Mr Speaker, happy to look at the specifics of the request. In fact, this has been a bit of
00:39a perennial issue in Dubbo, so I've had the opportunity to look closely at the timeline
00:44as it relates to the Dubbo PCYC Centre. Mr Speaker, what the Member for Dubbo didn't
00:49reveal to the House is that this was first announced in 2018. In February 2020, the
00:58Nationals announced it again, and they put out a media release with the quote saying,
01:02quote, it's a goer in the near future. This is in 2020. Again, in August 2020,
01:09Dougal stood up with his best friend Paul Toole and they proclaimed jointly, and this is a quote,
01:18fantastic to see the project really starting to gather momentum, they said. This is in 2020,
01:24Mr Speaker. And then they did a sod turn. They did a sod turn. 2020. That's a classic, Mr Speaker.
01:33Don't build it. We did a sod turn. What do you want, a basketball centre? We've already done
01:37the sod turn. And then, Mr Speaker. Premier, you should not be surprised. I can pause it,
01:45but I'll just point out that we're going to be running out of time. I'm happy to run through
01:48the detail. You and I both know the detail. The detail is— Member for Dubbo, there's
01:52$50 million there. What's your point of order? Will you commit? Yes or no? Premier, just let me
01:58rule. Premier, yes or no? Premier, will you let me rule? Premier, can you just let me rule and
02:08can you let me deal, Member for Dubbo? Member for Dubbo will remove himself from 249 AMI.
02:15You owe me for the day if you do not do what I say. To the end of question time.
02:20Anyway, the reason is, Mr Speaker, the originally budgeted amount back in 2018 was $10 million.
02:27The budgeted amount today is $70 million because these blokes didn't get on with it.
02:31And don't take my word for it. Take local legend and pillar of the community, Mark
02:39Bomber Forrester, who jumped up at a media conference with Dougald and said, of Dougald,
02:45that's just BS. You've had enough time, mate. You've had more than enough time.
02:50You should have got on with it, you Muppet. Oh, by the way, who are you, Mr Speaker?
02:56Who are you? The leader of the National Party in his own electorate and local legend stands up and
03:01goes, I don't know who this bloke is. And it begs the question, Mr Speaker, how has the third most
03:07popular breakfast morning announcer become the leader of the National Party from Dubbo? How did
03:12this happen, Mr Speaker? The short answer is we will work with the council and the local community.
03:19But if you want the real answer as to why things aren't moving in Dubbo, terrible local MP.