Page 108 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 14 February 1990
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The reality is that unlike Mr Whalan the Alliance Government fully supports proposals for the construction of a swimming facility in Tuggeranong. It will be built as soon as possible.
You cannot get anything clearer than that. Mr Kaine went on to say:
In the meantime, I refuse to delude the electorate with ill-founded promises and blatant pork-barrelling exercises like those engaged in by Mr Whalan and Mrs Kelly over such an important community facility.
I think that hits the nail right on the head. We have demonstrated our commitment to the pool. It is quite clear anyway that the previous Government did not approve the construction of a pool at Tuggeranong for inclusion in this year's capital works program. Why not? I understand that a commitment had been given by the previous Government that it would be given priority in the 1990-91 program, but all they ever gave was a commitment; there was never anything concrete, no black and white, nothing.
I believe the Alliance Government is taking a sensible approach on the whole matter and I believe that the amendment, as moved by Mr Collaery, which says that this Assembly expresses its total support for the development of a swimming complex in Tuggeranong, is a very sensible amendment. I look forward to the vote on this amendment to see if the people on the other side of the house are prepared to vote that this Assembly expresses its total support for the development of a swimming complex in Tuggeranong because I have grave doubts that they will support such a motion. Mr Speaker, I commend the amendment to the house.
MR WOOD (11.53): Mr Speaker, members may realise that at the recent Commonwealth Games swimmers from Queensland dominated. It is not just Australian swimming they dominate, but the games swimming. That is not accidental. Many schools in Queensland and certainly almost all of the very large schools have swimming pools attached to them. That goes back now at least 20 years, so over that period of time it is no wonder that Queensland children have come to dominate Australian swimming. I would not suggest that schools in Canberra need their own swimming pools; we certainly do not have that type of climate. They can have them in Queensland where you can swim all the year round.
Nevertheless, people in Canberra give a high priority to children being taught the simple skills of swimming, and indeed for some children the not so simple skills of swimming. The pools are used predominantly by the young, not just for recreational purposes but also for purposes of learning to swim. Consequently, it is sensible that
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