The Canberra Liberals' plan to build a stadium at the Acton waterfront is a thought bubble that would prove impossible to deliver, the federal Labor Finance Minister has said.
Katy Gallagher, who is a senator for the ACT and a former chief minister, said it was an announcement with a picture and no detail.
"In fact, it would seem to me that a quick look at the planning constraints on that site would make that a very difficult if not impossible plan to deliver," Ms Gallagher said on Saturday.
"And I would have expected if they do expect the Commonwealth to work with them, that there would have been some contact, which there hasn't been."
Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee said it was disappointing to hear Ms Gallagher's negativity about the proposed project.
"If this is her attitude, then Canberrans are duly warned she's clearly playing politics with major infrastructure projects that will benefit Canberra and Australia," Ms Lee said.
Ms Gallagher was asked on the sidelines of the ACT Labor campaign launch whether the federal government would work with the Liberals to amend the the federally administered National Capital Plan to allow a waterfront stadium.
"It looked like a thought bubble trying to get a front page, without anything that underpinned it and something that's going to be impossible to deliver," she said.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr on Saturday revealed a re-elected Labor government was committed to finishing design and planning work on a new stadium at Bruce so construction could begin in 2028-29.
A Labor government would also support the return of the Canberra Cannons to the National Basketball League and the establishment of men's and women's Canberra Big Bash League cricket teams.
The Canberra Liberals this week announced it wanted to build a new stadium at West Basin on designated national land, which is managed by the National Capital Authority. The land has been zoned for housing.
The Liberals on Tuesday said they would begin construction on the 30,000-seat venue in their first term of government. But ACT Labor argued the venue would not fit on the site and the Liberals would not secure approvals for the project in time to start work before 2028.
The Liberals claimed the project would cost between $700 million and $800 million to build, and the party said they were eager to secure federal support and consider public private partnerships.
"A world-class stadium located at the Acton Waterfront, in close proximity to restaurants, bars and hotels will revitalise not only the city centre, but all of Canberra," Ms Lee said.
Ms Lee said the Liberals had already had conversations with the National Capital Authority about a West Basin stadium.
"We have had discussions with the NCA. We will continue to have discussions with the NCA," she said.
Territories Minister Kristy McBain, who is responsible for the National Capital Authority, said no proposal had been submitted to the authority or the federal government by the Liberals, nor was there any evidence of a detailed costing or business case.
"[A stadium] does not fit within the current National Capital Plan, however, it is difficult to provide more analysis when all we have seen is a Photoshopped image," Ms McBain said when asked how long the process to approve a stadium on the Commonwealth-controlled land would take.
