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None . . Page.. 308 ..

Mr Lee said:

This is significant progress and I am very pleased that work on developing detailed designs can now proceed with construction expected to start next financial year ...

It has been agreed -

these are his words -

that the ACT Government would provide the whole of the Acton Peninsula site to the border of the Australian National University, excluding the hospice and the cottage. The ACT Government will clear the site of existing buildings and provide up to $3 million for infrastructure work for the Gallery of Aboriginal Australia.

In return, the Commonwealth will make available to the ACT Government land on the Kingston foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin ...

It then goes on to say something really interesting:

Negotiations on the land swap had been progressing with the Follett Government since last October and were finalised with the current Government this week.

So, we have an agreement from us; Michael Lee says that there is an agreement; and now we have the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister in his letter said:

Thank you for your letter of 10 April 1995 setting out your understanding of our agreement for the future development of Acton Peninsula and the Kingston foreshores.

The Federal Government shares your understanding of the agreement, as confirmed by my colleague, the Minister for Communications and the Arts, the Hon Michael Lee MP, in his media release of 11 April 1995 ...

Detailed aspects of the implementation of the agreement, including the impact on the ANU, can be worked out at officials level. I understand that discussions to this end commenced last month.

So, we have a situation where the ACT Government believes that there is an agreement, Michael Lee believes that there is an agreement, and the Prime Minister believes that there is an agreement. From my perspective, when I as Chief Minister of this Territory make an agreement with the Prime Minister, I believe that his word is good, he believes that my word is good, and we have an agreement in place. It seems that the only people who do not believe that there is an agreement are members of the Labor Party.

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