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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 5 (Hansard) 16 May) . . Page.. 1359 ..

MS FOLLETT: My question without notice is to the Chief Minister. I refer to the Stock Exchange office that was opened recently in the National Capital Investment Centre, on which Mrs Carnell treated us all to one of her little comic routines on Tuesday. I ask: How much money has the Government put into that project, either in cash or in kind, and how much has it committed itself to paying in the future? How many jobs were created? How many of those jobs were filled by people who already worked in Canberra?

MRS CARNELL: Thank you very much. I think this is sour grapes, Mr Speaker. I think this is just a really bad case of sour grapes. Ms Follett just cannot cope with the fact that we managed to get the Australian Stock Exchange here in Canberra when she said time and again that it was absolutely impossible. The reality is that there have been jobs created; but, most importantly, with this project, it is a three-way - - -

Mr Wood: We wait to hear.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I can yell louder if you need me to. I am very happy to do that.

MR SPEAKER: No; I would prefer you not to do that.

Mr Wood: Just answer the question.

MR SPEAKER: Order! You have asked your question, too, Mr Wood. Continue, Chief Minister.

MRS CARNELL: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. The idea of this three-way partnership between CFM, the ASX and the ACT Government has a number of approaches. One, of course, is to stimulate business in the ACT and to give a message to business generally, including the stock market, that the ACT is a good place to do business. The other one is to make sure that good investment advice is available to ACT people, and to ACT Government employees particularly. We also believe strongly that it is by encouraging these sorts of businesses to Canberra that more businesses can - - -

Ms Follett: Mr Speaker, on a point of order: My question had two parts - how much money and how many jobs? We have yet to hear an answer coming anywhere near either of those questions.

MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Continue, Chief Minister.

Ms Follett: It is irrelevant, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: The Chief Minister is answering the question as she sees fit.

Ms Follett: No, she is not.

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