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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 10 Hansard (4 September) . . Page.. 3078 ..

MS FOLLETT (continuing):

I move:

Add "and the Assembly calls on the Government to arrange bussing to the Paralympic Welcome Home Parade at the same or less cost to organisers as for the Olympic Welcome Home Parade".

Mr Speaker, I find it very worrying that there is even a suggestion from the Paralympic organisers that they are going to have to raise special funds to pay for buses to the welcome home parade.

Mr Hird: Yes, but it was their idea, Rosemary.

MS FOLLETT: I do not care whether it was their idea or someone else's idea; I think it is an idea that ought to be scotched immediately. Mr Speaker, I think I heard the Minister for Sport say, in relation to the Olympic welcome home parade, that the Department of Education had found the funds to provide the buses. So, even at the very much concessional rate that the Olympic organisation was charged, they did not have to pay anything, because the Education Department paid for it. I think it would be totally reprehensible if the Paralympic welcome home parade had any lesser arrangements than that. So, my amendment is that the cost to the organisers of the Paralympic welcome home parade bussing should be the same as or less than that of the Olympic welcome home parade.

If the Department of Education can again pick up the tab, I urge them to do so. Perhaps the Department of Health and Community Care could pick up the tab. I urge them to do so. I think it would be very much a blot on the Territory's copybook if we were to give any suggestion that we treated the Paralympians less advantageously than the Olympians. So, we need to fix it up.

Mr Wood: Buses need to be as comprehensively provided, too.

MS FOLLETT: As my colleague Mr Wood says, the buses for the Paralympic welcome home parade need to be at least as comprehensively provided. I am pleased to hear little noises of assent to that from the Government, Mr Speaker.

Mr De Domenico: You will hear big noises of contempt soon.

MS FOLLETT: Big noises even. That would be better. That would be more your style, too. Mr Speaker, it is a sad fact that the Olympians have so much more money in many ways than the Paralympians. They have sponsorship. They get prize money for winning medals. I do not know whether the Paralympians got the cash reward for winning medals that the Olympians did; but I would be pretty sure that they did not. I do not think we would have seen Gemma Dashwood, Lisa Llorens and all the rest of them getting a $25,000 cash hand-out for winning a gold medal. I very much doubt it. So, let us make sure that when we do welcome them home we really turn it on for them and that they are not disadvantaged financially or in any other way. I think this community would want to express its unqualified support and admiration for and pride in these people. Mr Speaker, I support Mr Hird's motion. I urge the Assembly to support my amendment as well.

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