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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 12 Hansard (21 November) . . Page.. 4106 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

there is to be allocated a sum of $285,000 to fund marketing activities and, finally, an events coordinator to attract national and international sporting competitions to Canberra - activities that will position Canberra as a training venue for international teams in the lead-up to the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

It is a very good budget, containing a large number of initiatives, Ms McRae. The Academy of Sport is to be funded $1.5m this year, largely through the one per cent additional tax on poker machines - something that the licensed clubs, to their credit, have got behind because they know the value of that. There is to be $2m for the Gungahlin playing fields; and, in terms of recreation, such things as a Civic skateboard park and some improvements to the Erindale skateboard area.

Mr De Domenico: An indoor sporting facility at Tuggeranong.

MR STEFANIAK: Yes, that comes on stream this year, Mr De Domenico. The car park at the Hawker Softball Centre for the ACT is to be sealed. The car park at the netball centre, with the long running problem there with potholes, is going to be fixed up.

Mr Whitecross: So, now we have a sports stadium which is not only the world's first outdoor stadium for indoor soccer but also - - -

MR STEFANIAK: Shut up and you might learn something, Mr Whitecross.

Mr Whitecross: It is also the first stadium in Australia for blade hockey.

MR STEFANIAK: It is little wonder that the sporting community of Canberra is very happy with this Government. The trouble with you lot is that you show a very disturbing lack of any sort of imagination.

Mr De Domenico: They are just whingers.

MR STEFANIAK: That is right. You whinge, whinge, whinge, carp, carp, carp. You do not have an original idea between you. I suppose, in a way, we should take it as a compliment if all you can do is criticise what is already a very good additional facility in Canberra, in terms of the Acton Park facility.

Ms McRae: Why do you not just ditch your 10-year plan?

MR STEFANIAK: Who has ditched it, Ms McRae? It is just that you do have to have a little bit of flexibility, and the States that tend to do very well have that flexibility. They have the ability to jump in and seize an opportunity, which this Government is trying to do. If you want to see someone who does it very well, have a look at Kennett in Victoria and his events-led recovery. That man will jump in and seize anything he possibly can. He has got the Bledisloe Cup now. That is the sort of innovative ability you need to do well these days. That is something that this Government is doing, and that is something that we have done in relation to that outdoor stadium at Acton,

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