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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (20 February) . . Page.. 242 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Mr Speaker, the response by the Government is very adequate. Mr Hird's dissenting report is particularly carefully worded, is adopted fully by the Government and, I think, deserves to be read again by those in this place. If Mr Moore believes that we do not really believe in this policy, then let him just watch and pay attention over the next few months. The motion that is before the chamber will be put to the chamber and we will have a full debate at that point. If it is not passed by the chamber, it will be put to the electorate at the next ACT election.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

MRS CARNELL (Chief Minister) (3.48): Mr Speaker, for the information of members, I present the Government's response to Report No. 3 of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Tourism, entitled "Inquiry into a Bird and/or Another Animal Emblem", which was presented to the Assembly on 21 November 1996. I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the paper.

Mr Speaker, I do not wish to spend too much time on the matter of adopting a faunal emblem, so I will confine my statement to some very key points here. The committee undertook extensive investigations and wide consultation. The Government was disappointed with the low level of response to the consultation process; but it is high time that a decision was made so that we can now develop an emblem that we can all be proud of. I agree with the selection criteria put forward by the committee. Against these criteria, we wish to seek the Assembly's agreement to adopt the most popular nomination - the gang-gang cockatoo - as the faunal emblem of the ACT. It is also an appropriate time to give formal endorsement to the royal bluebell as the ACT's floral emblem. These emblems can be used to promote the ACT in a wide range of ways, from representative sporting teams to major marketing activities. They will act as distinctive symbols that will be of particular value in the lead-up to the Olympics. If the Assembly endorses the gang-gang, it will be gazetted, and I will ask the Minister for Arts and Heritage to consider a process to ensure that the emblem presents a stylised representation of the gang-gang. We believe that it is important to be able to have a stylised emblem that can be worn as lapel badges and used in various different situations. Mr Speaker, I commend this report.

MR SPEAKER: I am glad that it is stylised, Chief Minister.

MRS CARNELL: I thought that you would be pleased, Mr Speaker.

Mr Humphries: I prefer the frog myself.

MR SPEAKER: I would not like a live one; let us put it that way.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

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