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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (26 June) . . Page.. 2178 ..

Mr De Domenico: Not too many of them believe. There is no-one here, mate.

MR WHITECROSS: They trust me, Mr De Domenico. If these recommendations were implemented, it would be a source of major concern. I should highlight two recommendations in this report which illustrate to me the lack of understanding by the author of this report of the nature of the ACT Library Service.

Mr De Domenico: You are saying that this expert chap does not understand it. Where are your librarian qualifications?

MR WHITECROSS: Mr De Domenico has unequivocal faith in this report. Let us consider the recommendation in relation to the Gungahlin local library. There is not one at the moment, but the report proposes consideration of a new high-tech 250 square metre freestanding library at an early stage. That is obviously a good idea. It is a growing community.

Mr De Domenico: Are you sure you agree with that one? It is a good idea?

MR WHITECROSS: It gets better. It states that if Kippax is merged with Gungahlin a larger library would be required. In other words, you have Kippax in West Belconnen and you have Gungahlin, and you are saying, "There are two options, really. We could keep Kippax open, in which case presumably the Gungahlin residents might have to go to Kippax for some of their library needs, or we could close Kippax, which would mean that all the Kippax people would then have to go to Gungahlin to the library". They are the two options. If Kippax is merged with Gungahlin, a larger library would be required. Required by whom - required by the residents of West Belconnen who are now going to travel to Gungahlin or required by the residents of Gungahlin who no longer have to go to Kippax? That is a nonsense.

Mr Hird: You will get your brownie badge for map-reading if you keep it up.

MR WHITECROSS: Mr De Domenico, you paid good money for that, so I would not be laughing too much. Mr Speaker, let us consider - - -

Mr De Domenico: You are not worth much, I tell you, mate. You had better enjoy it while you can. You are lucky they did not have six in caucus when they took the vote.

MR SPEAKER: Order, please! Mr Whitecross has the floor. Government members will have the opportunity to respond in due course.

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Speaker, let us consider briefly the situation with the Tuggeranong libraries. The Tuggeranong libraries, Mr Speaker, as I am sure you know, are joint-use facilities; that is, they are also used by the students of the colleges as their libraries. Notwithstanding the fact that they are joint-use facilities - that is, that the students use them during the five days of school - the recommendation is that they close to the public one extra day per week. In other words, you are going to let all the students in and they are all going to be buzzing around the library doing all the things that the students do, but the little old ladies and gentlemen from the general public will be knocking on the door and pressing their noses to the glass but you will not let them in.

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