Page 3542 - Week 13 - Thursday, 26 November 1992
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stand to benefit from all of these things, perhaps more than most other places in Australia. We have some special attractions which would be of interest to anybody considering a trip to the Olympic Games and, with the right packaging and full support, I think we can deliver the goods for the people of the ACT.
I close by saying that the Government is taking every opportunity to ensure that our support is focused on ensuring the maximum benefit to the ACT, but at the same time acknowledging that this is a massive issue for all of Australia and one which we support as Australians, not only as ACT residents. They are just a few of the benefits that will flow on as a result of the Olympic Games, and I offer those people organising the Sydney bid all our support and best wishes in their bid for the Olympic Games.
MR CORNWELL (3.57): I must say that this matter of public importance - I do stress the words "matter of public importance" - has to be one of the most trivial that I have heard in this chamber. It is "ACT Government support for the Sydney Olympic 2000 bid". I do not see this, frankly, Madam Speaker, as a matter of public importance. I believe that it goes without saying that we people in Canberra, despite what people elsewhere in the country may say or believe, are Australians and naturally we would support any bid by an Australian city for the Olympic Games. One could argue that, Sydney being our closest capital, we probably would have greater support for it, for the obvious benefits that Mr Berry has indicated would flow from Sydney obtaining the Olympics, than for some of the other Australian capitals. But it is self-evident that we would support any Australian city's bid for the Games and I fail to see why we are having a matter of public importance discussion on the subject.
Mr Wood: It is self-evident that we are concerned about public safety, and we debated that yesterday.
MR CORNWELL: Mr Wood interjects that we had a debate on public safety. I would suggest to you that, in terms of matters of public importance, public safety in this city at the moment is of much more importance to the ACT community than this particular self-evident MPI. Let me repeat; everybody in this Assembly would support Sydney's bid for the Olympic Games, and that includes the Liberal Party. Mr Lamont accused us earlier, saying that Mr Kaine and his supporters had not backed Sydney's bid. Of course we did and of course we do.
I appreciate that there are those in the world who believe that the Olympics should not be some sort of expensive moveable feast around the world, but should be relocated permanently in Greece where they began. There are in fact many advantages in that that one could put forward. I am sure that it would do the Greek economy a tremendous amount of good. That would also have an advantage in terms of the sporting prowess of the sports men and women who participate. They would be able to attend the venue where the Games are to take place and acclimatise themselves. We all know that there have been problems in the past, depending on where the Games were held. I think it is fair to say that the sports men and women of the country where the Games take place have an advantage over some of the visiting sports men and women. So, there are some advantages that could be put forward for locating the Games in one particular place, namely Greece. People throughout the world could go to that venue and acclimatise themselves before the event began. However, that is not about to happen and therefore we must address having the expensive moveable feast.
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