Page 3973 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 9 November 1994
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On February 28, the Government promised $26 million towards the $65 million Stage One of the museum on the Yarramundi Reach site. A further $13 million in infrastructure (roads, sewerage, water and electricity) was to come from the ACT and the private sector was to provide another $26 million.
A spokesman for Senator McMullan said the promise was looking strong, but "the minister cannot make any formal announcements in the pre-Budget context".
According to McMullan, it was looking strong. We have heard Mr Hawke and Mr Keating. Mrs Kelly, as usual, had two bob each way. If it is good news, it is all Ros Kelly's doing. If it is bad news, she blames it on somebody else or tries to squirm out of it in some way or another. Senator McMullan, fence-sitter that he is, says, "Yes, it is looking strong", but he cannot make a commitment because of Cabinet solidarity or something. Ms Follett also got into the limelight as we read "Follett pledges $13m for national museum". That was for the Yarramundi Reach site.
Quite interestingly, Mr Wood waxed lyrical about what Federal Liberal governments have said. I now quote from page 1127 of the uncorrected copy of Hansard of the Estimates Committee of 30 September 1993:
MR DE DOMENICO: Chief Minister, was it your understanding ... that prior to the Federal Election there was no linkage of the building of the National Museum to private sector support?
MS FOLLETT: No, Madam Chair. I have [a] very long association with the National Museum of Australia, and I think at the very start, in 1980 -
there was a Federal Liberal government in 1980 -
when the museum's legislation was first passed by the Federal Parliament the intention then was that it would be entirely a Federal Government funded project to the tune of - in 1980 dollar terms - around $90m.
Mr Kaine: That was Malcolm Fraser.
MR DE DOMENICO: That was Malcolm Fraser.
Ms Ellis: Why did they not build it?
MR DE DOMENICO: Ms Ellis says, "Why did they not do it?". They went out of office in 1983, Ms Ellis. Your mob have been in there for 10 years. The member you used to work for, your local member, promised the world and she could not deliver. That is the answer to your question, Ms Ellis.
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