Delays in opening the first ACT jail have cost Canberrans an estimated $3.5 million, with the Attorney-General copping criticism for his handling of the project.
The unanimous findings from the tripartite committee questioned Simon Corbell's assertion that a six-month delay was due to security system failures.
But Mr Corbell has slammed the committee and its findings, describing the process as a sham.
The 74-page committee report found the Corrections Minister (Simon Corbell) was not well briefed on delays in completing the Alexander Maconochie Centre.
It also found the remand facilities used to hold sentenced prisoners were not human rights-compliant and delays might have contributed to a number of incidents at the Belconnen Remand Centre.
However, the body of the report claimed Corrective Services figures did not indicate a spike in serious incidents during a period of overcrowding before the Alexander Maconochie Centre was commissioned.
One of the report's findings suggested delays could not be fully attributed to delays in installing the jail's security system as contended by Mr Corbell. But the Attorney-General rejected the criticism and called the report politically motivated despite its being co-authored by colleague Mary Porter.
''This inquiry has been a sham from go to whoa,'' Mr Corbell said.
''This committee has the gall to act as though it is some commission of inquiry or court. It is not satisfied with recommendations; it has to make findings, findings [that] aren't backed up by any analysis, findings that are completely contrary to the facts.''
The committee's findings also showed there were eight delays to the project completion date before the official opening in September last year. The centre did not begin accepting prisoners until March this year.
It found that while Mr Corbell was briefed on delays to the project two days before the official opening, it was not reasonable to expect him to delay the ceremony.
Opposition corrections spokesman Jeremy Hanson described MrCorbell as the ''minister for mistakes''.
He said the inquiry's findings showed responsibility for the delays and cost rested with the minister.
He said other major projects including the delays to building an Emergency Services Authority headquarters at Fairbairn were evidence the minister was out of his depth.
''In terms of his handling of major infrastructure projects, they don't go well under his guidance,'' Mr Hanson said.
The committee delivered 25 findings, with 11 recommendations suggesting a review of procedures for ministerial briefings and regular reporting to the Assembly on costs of the delay and progress of negotiations for the recovery of costs.
Meanwhile, the Greens committee member Meredith Hunter has criticised both the minister and the Opposition for their responses to the complex inquiry.
''I find it pretty astounding that a report is tabled and within a few minutes there are people who get up and decide they have a complete understanding of what is going on and put their own interpretation on findings and also on recommendations,'' Ms Hunter said yesterday.
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