Canberra Liberals Leader Elizabeth Lee has welcomed the proposal put forward this week by industry leaders to build a stadium and convention centre in the city.

Ms Lee said a city stadium remains firmly on the table for the Canberra Liberals despite a number of backflips by the Chief Minister in recent months.

“There is a reason why cities all across the world build stadiums in the city centre,” Ms Lee said.

“The benefits of having something as big as a stadium in the city with all the surrounding infrastructure is because of the ongoing economic benefits that flows on through to the entire city.

“Canberra has missed out on and will struggle to attract major sporting events and artists because we do not have the appropriate infrastructure to be able to host national and international events.

“This is very important for the future of our city and I acknowledge the leadership from the Canberra sporting and business community in the absence of any meaningful direction from the Chief Minister.

“The Canberra Liberals will continue to liaise with and work closely with various stakeholders on this issue,” Ms Lee concluded.

Ms Lee also called out the Chief Minister for a number of backflips on the city stadium in the last six months and said it is clear the project will not happen under a Labor-Greens government.

“After spending 13 years stringing the Canberra public along the Chief Minister was very clear in June this year that it was impossible to build a stadium in the city,” Ms Lee said.

“He then changed his argument during Estimates Hearings in August saying the main reason for not building a stadium was due to the fact it would be used so infrequently and would be a ‘dead space’ for much of the year.

“I find it astounding the Chief Minister has now come out and said he will examine the proposal for the inverted-bowl stadium in what is his third position on the matter in recent times, despite the Sports Minister on the same day saying there is no consideration for a city stadium,” Ms Lee concluded.