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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 10 Hansard (4 September) . . Page.. 3082 ..

Mr Berry: Did the Olympic Council pay $500?

MR DE DOMENICO: Just wait a minute. Mr Allan did not contact either of the two Ministers' offices.

Mr Berry: So, it is his fault.

MR DE DOMENICO: No; it is not his fault. He offered to pay.

Ms McRae: So, why do you not donate the money back?

MR DE DOMENICO: Just listen and stop playing politics with this issue. My office contacted ACTION again to confirm that it was true that Mr Allan insisted on paying the $500.

Ms McRae: So, you could have insisted on donating it back.

MR DE DOMENICO: Whoa! Once again Mr Allan said, "I do not want these buses for nothing. I insist on paying $500". Mr Stefaniak's office, I am advised, also offered to help Mr Allan and his organisation with the promotion of the parade. What did Mr Allan say? He said, "No, thank you very much. We would like to do this by ourselves to prove that we can. Thank you, Minister, anyway. We will do it ourselves to prove that we can".

Mr Berry: Meaning, "We do not want to be associated with you lot".

MR DE DOMENICO: Listen to the nonsense coming from that man's mouth. This is the bloke that wants to be leader of the Labor Party.

Of course, DUS is already providing the traffic control, Mr Speaker, and the Government is also providing the barricading and the policing services, as it would for any get-together of this kind.

Mr Berry: Now you are providing the buses. Now we are all sweet. Now all you have to do is provide the funding for the swim program.

MR DE DOMENICO: No, Mr Berry; just wait. Mr Geoff Perry and Mr Don Allan from the association said to both Mr Stefaniak's office and mine, "We would like to do it this way because we do not want this issue to be politicised". And what have you grubs done? You have politicised the whole thing. Shame on you!

Ms McRae: Give them the money back.

MR DE DOMENICO: I will take up Ms McRae's interjection because it is a humdinger. As if the hole is not deep enough; it gets deeper and deeper every time she opens her mouth, Mr Speaker. She said, "Give them their money back". I am advised, Ms McRae, that what Don Allan wanted to do was say, "We will end up not paying for the buses anyway. We would like to go out there ourselves and get some sponsorship".

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