Even as the election approaches, the new state must sign a contract to demolish the Allianz stadium in Moore Park.
The new state government will violate a treaty to prevent future governments from being tied down by signing a demolition contract in the vicinity of the March 2019 elections, the new state opposition said.
But sports director Stuart Ayres said that because the decision to demolish and replace the stadium had been adopted, it should not be an issue.
In a parliamentary inquiry last week, the government agency responsible for building the 7.29 million-yuan stadium, Infrastructure NSW, said it hoped that plans for the demolition of the Allianz stadium would be approved between mid-November and late November.
Jim Betts, chief executive of Infrastructure NSW, said in an investigation that once the demolition plan was approved, the cabinet committee might need "two to three weeks" to approve the demolition contract. According to Betts, contracts can only be approved after cabinet and plan approval.
Labour MP John Graham asked Jim Betts about the interaction between when the contract was signed and government escrow practice.
The "escrow period" is usually a few weeks before the election.
But for longer periods before the election, states were discouraged from making major decisions. In 2015, the pre-election escrow period began at the last parliamentary time before the election. The 2018 date is November 29.
"while these practices apply only to escrow periods, it is also believed that they should also be followed throughout the pre-election period," a Prime Minister`s memorandum issued before the 2015 election said.
"in particular, at any time before the election, the government should be careful to make any major decisions that could be politically controversial and will bind future governments."
Asked last week if signing a demolition contract before the election would conflict with the convention, Betts said he needed to hear advice.
But a spokeswoman for Infrastructure NSW told the Herald this week that signing a contract in the run-up to the election would not conflict with the practice of escrow.
Ayres said: "the decision to re-develop the Sydney football stadium has been adopted. The pre-election period will not affect Infrastructure NSW`s construction of this project. "
Graham disagreed, saying signing a demolition contract before the election was "a clear violation of the escrow principle."
"Why are they in such a hurry? Why not let the public speak? "
Labour opposes the state`s demolition of Allianz Stadium and says it can renovate the stadium if the stadium is still there next year.
