Page 2159 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 6 June 1990
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MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Moore. Your position is upheld. Dr Kinloch, I feel for your point of view, but I think you are being pedantic on the issue.
Dr Kinloch: Mr Speaker, could I very gently say that I am drawing up a most careful letter to you to ask that this matter be taken up with the appropriate committee. I do ask that the words - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order! Dr Kinloch, you do not have permission to speak. You must seek the leave of the Assembly to do so.
Dr Kinloch: I accept that. I apologise, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: You are overstepping your position. Please proceed, Mr Humphries.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, Mr Connolly made reference to the cheapness of the Griffin Centre. The Government acknowledges that the tenants of the Griffin Centre are not wealthy. To suggest that we are going to create a brand-new Rolls Royce Griffin Centre which is so wonderfully well equipped and appointed that we price ourselves out of the market which the Griffin Centre was obviously designed to meet is just too stupid for words. To suggest that that would be the object of the exercise, quite frankly, denotes a complete ignorance of the way in which the Griffin Centre provides services to the people of Canberra - and none of the people on this side of the house are ignorant of that having been, in many cases, heavy users of those facilities. It therefore follows that the Opposition is merely trying to, again, excite alarm and concern in a population as they have had some success with that through the experiences of the last few months.
The Government appreciates that the low-cost accommodation and many facilities in the centre are extremely important to the efficient operation of a wide range of cultural, welfare, environmental and public interest groups in the ACT. That statement is on the record. It is a perfectly obvious assertion. It is impossible to do without the very important work of these community groups. These community groups supplement, support and complement the work done by government in many respects. In other respects they provide an alternative to the work done by government. (Extension of time granted)
Not only do we acknowledge the vital importance of these facilities but we also acknowledge that their location in the centre of the Civic area is extremely important. They have to be at that location because that is where a large number of people find them accessible. There is no question that they would not be provided for at that central location.
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