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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 11 Hansard (25 September) . . Page.. 3400 ..

MS HORODNY (continuing):

There are a lot of ideas and initiatives out there that this Government could be supporting. Mrs Carnell, if you are short on ideas, please come and see me. I would love to talk to you about it any time you have a moment. There are many things this Government could be doing to attract people to the ACT that are based on taking care of our environment and enhancing our environment. This is the very drawcard that the ACT could present to the rest of Australia and, indeed, to the world. There are a lot of such initiatives, and for you to close your eyes and ears to them is a very sad thing. This proposal is outrageous. I will be supporting Mr Moore's motion, and I hope members will support my amendment.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (4.18): Could I put on record that the Government does not oppose the idea of either having in Canberra or even supporting a solar car rally.

Ms Horodny: What are you doing to encourage it?

MR HUMPHRIES: I did not know about a solar car rally until Ms Horodny put out a press release late last week, and when she said, "Why is the Government not supporting the solar car rally?".

Ms Horodny: Do you not know what is happening in your own schools in the ACT?

MR HUMPHRIES: I think solar cars are great, but they have not come to us and said, "We would like some support. We want to put this on in the ACT". It is an Adelaide-based thing, as I understand it, and it is private sector sponsored. They have not indicated that they have an interest in coming to the ACT.

Ms Horodny: Do you not go for private sector sponsorship?

MR HUMPHRIES: Ms Horodny, you can convey to them that, if they want to come and speak to us about support, I guarantee that the whole Cabinet will come up and talk to them and listen very sympathetically to what they have to say. At the end of the day, what we have to do is keep our minds open to all sorts of endeavours, enterprises and proposals which both enrich the life of the ACT and have the potential - - -

Ms Horodny: How is the rally going to enrich the life of the ACT?

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Humphries, you have my protection.

MR HUMPHRIES: Thank you, Mr Speaker. We have to keep our minds open to any proposals which enrich the life of the Territory and have the potential to be supported by people in the Territory as a source of attraction for both people in the Territory and people outside the Territory, so as to generate tourist interest in the Territory.

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