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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (14 May) . . Page.. 1393 ..

MR WOOD: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, you and your colleagues have generated a lot of publicity through making front-page attacks on your mates and backers in the Federal Government. However, what has been actually achieved? I refer in particular to the latest attack on workers in the ACT - that is, the reduction of subsidies to after-school care. Constituents of mine, citizens of Canberra who are working parents with children who use these services, tell me of the predicted price rises that are coming. Many of them fear that they will no longer be able to afford this essential service and their children may have to become latchkey children and go home to an empty house after school. Chief Minister, what will you do to support these working parents and their children?

MRS CARNELL: I assume that Mr Wood is talking about a possible Commonwealth budget decision. I must admit that I am not sure whether it exists in the budget that was brought down last night. On that basis, I cannot make any comment about Federal Government decisions. In this particular case, I am not sure that they made one.

MR WOOD: I ask a supplementary question. The Chief Minister spent some time today defending the Federal budget. I wonder whether she would spend as much time defending parents in Canberra.

MRS CARNELL: I am very happy to defend families in Canberra. In fact, you just have to look at our budget last week. In our budget last week we concentrated on jobs and new businesses for Canberra. We spent a lot of time consulting with the community before our budget. I have to tell you that what the parents of Canberra wanted was jobs for their kids, and that is what our budget was about.

MR CORBELL: My question is to Mr Humphries in his capacity as Minister for the Environment. Minister, I refer to your comments on ABC radio yesterday in relation to the introduction of an $8 entry fee to the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. You stated that the introduction of the fee would help ensure that visitors to the area appreciate Tidbinbilla better, as they would be paying for the privilege. Minister, how do you know that the level of appreciation by visitors will improve if they are charged to visit the reserve, and will refunds be issued if they do not get to see any kangaroos?

MR HUMPHRIES: If they want to see any slow-moving animals, they can come to the Assembly and look at the Opposition. They will have plenty of entertainment for less than $8.

Mrs Carnell: Not much entertainment.

MR HUMPHRIES: Not much entertainment. Mr Corbell wants to know the basis of our decision. Let me recommend a publication to him. It is called "Marketing Strategy and Option Plan: ACT Nature Parks and National Park", published in August 1995.

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