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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 11 Hansard (25 September) . . Page.. 3388 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

to read some of the financial statements of other governments - whether they be Liberal, Labor, Federal, State or Territory - around this country. Yesterday's Financial Review revealed that the New South Wales Labor Government was undertaking a $250m sale and lease-back program on government buildings, including the sale of its premier Sydney assets such as the Pacific Power building. Guess why they are doing it?

Mr De Domenico: Its courts as well.

MRS CARNELL: Yes, its courts - all of those things that they do not own either. What did the New South Wales Government say they were doing it for? It is to help fund capital spending.

MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, in last year's budget you launched CanTrade, saying that it would "undertake more aggressive marketing of the Canberra region", which did not happen, of course. In this year's Budget Paper No. 5 you said:

The role of the CanTrade Board will be redefined ...

That is, it is going down the tube. Budget Paper No. 3 states:

The tourism industry is in the midst of a downturn. In the year ended the March quarter 1996, approximately 1.65 million visitors came to Canberra. This compares with 1.71 million in the corresponding period a year ago, a decline of 3.4 per cent.

Chief Minister, is it not true that you have failed to boost tourism, and hence employment, even with the free kick given to the industry by the hugely successful Turner exhibition?

MR DE DOMENICO: Mr Speaker, I will take that question, seeing that both of those areas come under my responsibility. Once again, I thought Mr Wood was a little bit better than his colleagues. He sometimes tries to be positive.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. The question was directed to the Treasurer in relation to the budget. It should be noted that the Treasurer has refused to answer the question.

MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The Treasurer has elected to ask Mr De Domenico to answer the question.

Mr Berry: She has refused to answer the question. That is where the matter should lie.

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