Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (15 May) . . Page.. 1492 ..

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, Mr Corbell said that he did not think this was the sort of business that the ACT Government should be involved in with regard to business incentives because it did not fit our niche market, which he thought was IT, R and D, and that sort of high-tech stuff. Mr Corbell might not have realised that not everybody can work in those sorts of areas. Not everybody has the skills or the educational background, or even the desire, Mr Speaker. When we look for a balanced business base for Canberra we are looking for exactly that - a balanced base that will give people an opportunity to work in the industries that they have the talent for and that they are interested in. That is not always IT. It is such things as cheese packaging plants, possibly. It might be lots of other different ones.

Mr Humphries: We can get the poor from Queanbeyan to come over.

MRS CARNELL: Oh, no. We will not do that.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Wood: He interjected.

MR SPEAKER: He spoke to the Chief Minister.

Mr Wood: So?

MRS CARNELL: He was talking to me. It was all right. Mr Speaker, in this particular scenario, the ACT will not be getting into a bidding war. We have put a very good deal on the table, and I come back to the comment I made before. I cannot understand why those opposite are trying to undermine a project involving 100 jobs and a $20m investment.

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Chief Minister, will your offer to the Bega cheese company be your final offer if you are not in a bidding war? Will you inform the Assembly of the total cost of the package you are offering to have the cheese packaging plant located in Canberra, including payroll tax exemptions, relocation fees, land grants, cash payments and reduction in rates payments? If you will not, why not?

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I am not willing to negotiate on the floor of the Assembly. The whole basis of negotiation is to be able to negotiate on the floor of - - -

Mr Whitecross: It sounds like a bidding war again.

MRS CARNELL: No, we are negotiating with the Bega Cooperative, Mr Speaker. I will not negotiate on the floor of the Assembly for any of our ACTBIS approaches, and I have to say - - -

Mr Whitecross: We are back to negotiations.

MR SPEAKER: I warn Mr Whitecross.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .