Page 3787 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 8 November 1994
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MR STEVENSON: Madam Speaker, the Minister makes a very good point.
MADAM SPEAKER: Yes; but you should be asking your question, Mr Stevenson.
MR STEVENSON: I do take his interjection to heart. The reason is that I have asked Mr Lamont questions in the past and, if I did not give him the answer, I did not get one. I have to make it easy. Another way is that the rent could be a percentage of gross sales.
Ms Follett: Madam Speaker, on a point of order - - -
MR STEVENSON: Obviously, I am just about to finish. I would have finished about half a minute ago had it not been for the various interruptions.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Stevenson, I have a point of order.
Ms Follett: Madam Speaker, if Mr Stevenson is rising to ask a question, he ought to ask it, rather than make a statement on the issue.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Stevenson, ask your question now.
MR STEVENSON: Indeed. Would the Minister be prepared to review the decision, to make absolutely certain that Canberrans are getting the best deal and that local manufacturers have an opportunity to deal in the Canberra marketplace?
MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, amongst the spectacular success of Floriade there was one issue - in the overall context, fairly minor - that was raised about Floriade. While it is a minor issue, I acknowledge that it was a very major issue for the ice-cream manufacturer to whom Mr Stevenson refers.
Ms Follett: And the orange juice man.
MR WOOD: That is right; I do not think that he had to pay for his site. Mr Stevenson did suggest a couple of solutions. There is another solution, and it is the cause of what happened. The Floriade board, amongst its multitude of activities, seeks sponsorship. Streets Ice Cream was one of the major sponsors. Another thing that the board does is invite people, if they wish to contract, to run services - food and wine, beverages and the like. Those two came into conflict.
The advice that I have been given is that the ice-cream manufacturer signed a contract - strangely, I think - agreeing that she would not sell ice-cream. That was a requirement built into the sponsorship by Streets. I think that Streets could have been a bit more tolerant and not worried about one competitor, but they had expectations arising out of their substantial sponsorship. I am told that the ice-cream manufacturer had actually signed a contract not to use the word "ice-cream" and not to sell ice-cream; and, as part of the argument, had agreed to sell only iced confections. You tell me the difference. I think iced confections do not contain milk. It is an argument that should be settled before the next Floriade. I expect that that sort of discussion will occur so that we do not have that problem next time.
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