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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 9 Hansard (3 September) . . Page.. 2863 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

To put the facts very simply, first, it has never been the intention of the Government that the $500,000 would be used exclusively for tourism marketing. Nor, by the way, does Mr Corbell suggest it should be. He is suggesting that it should be used for business, sport and cultural areas as well. So on that basis you would suggest that a broader campaign that includes tourism amongst other facets is the appropriate way to go. We believe that bringing CanTrade into the whole equation is a great way to have the Tourism and Events Corporation in there but as part of a broader campaign.

Secondly, a central feature of this initiative is that it offers the opportunity, as we have already said, for private sector funding for marketing campaigns. As I said, in the next month or so we will be in a position to announce the first of those partnerships. Thirdly, the administration of the campaign was always to be done by way of the department and, of course, CanTrade as well, who are responsible not just for tourism but for business, the arts, sport and tourism. That is the basis on which we are putting this branding exercise campaign together.

I think Mr Kaine should be very proud of the extra dollars he managed to screw out of the budget Cabinet, which he did, I have to say. He achieved the dollars that I have already spoken about. I read from the page in the budget paper that Mr Corbell was not interested in. Part of the $500,000 will be used to promote and market Canberra as a good place to do business, as a good place to visit, and also as a good place to live. That is something that those opposite should have done years ago. Unfortunately, they did not do it. They did not increase the funding for tourism by much at all. The increases were very minor. We have taken a different approach. We have got in there, as usual, and done what we said we would do.

Mr Hird: We rolled our sleeves up.

MRS CARNELL: As Mr Hird said, we rolled our sleeves up, got in there and put our dollars where our policy direction was. I think those opposite, if they were honest - but that is pretty unlikely - would admit that the approach that we are - - -

Mr Corbell: I take a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker.

MRS CARNELL: You cannot. You are allowed to say "those opposite".

Mr Corbell: I take a point of order. There was a suggestion that the Labor Party was lying, and I would ask the Chief Minister to withdraw that comment.

MRS CARNELL: You know, Madam Deputy Speaker, that I can say that in a generic form.

MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Corbell, ask whether it was meant for a specific person. Then it is a different point of order. A generalisation in previous times has been allowed.

Mr Whitecross: Madam Deputy Speaker, I appreciate that that is the ruling that you have made in the past. However, I seem to recall that Mr Kaine on a previous occasion took umbrage at a generalised suggestion by Mr Osborne that I think - - -

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