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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 10 Hansard (4 September) . . Page.. 3081 ..

Mr Berry: No; it is on the notice paper.

MR DE DOMENICO: It is on the notice paper. What started off as being a very positive motion on the notice paper, to say, "Well done. We are very proud of you. You are fantastic", has now turned into a political dogfight. I think you on the other side of this place ought to be ashamed of yourselves.

Mr Berry: Just vote for the amendment.

MR DE DOMENICO: We will. I will tell you why we will vote for the amendment, Mr Berry - because of the facts of the matter, and this is what the facts are - - -

Mr Berry: You have never voted for anything on that basis before.

MR DE DOMENICO: I have just said that the Government will support the amendment, Mr Berry. Surprise, surprise! The Government will support the amendment. This is why we will support the amendment. My office rang ACTION buses and asked whether they would make the same arrangements for the Paralympic parade as they did for the Olympic parade. There was a phone call from my office to ACTION buses: "Will you make the same arrangements - - -

Ms Follett: That is completely irrelevant.

MR DE DOMENICO: You are on a hiding to nothing, so just sit down and listen. Subsidised buses, for about $6 to $10 for each return journey, billed to the Education Department and, if they could not afford it, billed to ACTION buses - - -

Mr Berry: It was billed to the schools.

MR DE DOMENICO: Wait. They said, "You can have some buses for nothing - up to 50 buses - the same offer as we made in regard to the Olympics".

Ms Follett: The schools were sent the bills.

MR DE DOMENICO: Whoa; sit down and listen. ACTION said, "Of course we will do that".

Ms McRae: And then they sent the bills to the schools. Very good.

MR DE DOMENICO: Just wait a minute. Sit down and listen. You will learn a lot of things if you listen to the facts. I know that you do not want to listen to the facts, because they are going to hurt; but listen anyway. Mr Don Allan, who is well known around this place and who has something to do with the Paralympics, then rang ACTION directly on the same day and said, "I insist on paying $500 for the buses because I do not want the Paralympians to be treated as some form of charity. I, after consultation with my board, insist on paying $500 for the buses". ACTION said, "Hold on a tick. We are not in a position to say yes or no to that. Mr Allan, you had better ring either Mr Stefaniak's office or Mr De Domenico's office".

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