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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 10 Hansard (25 September) . . Page.. 3367 ..

MR WHITECROSS (continuing):

I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I left after an hour-and-a-half, at 7.30, when they had had the introduction of the new coach, Branko Culina, when they had had the introduction of the entire Cosmos team, when they had had the introduction of the new strip that the Novell Canberra Cosmos will be using this season. The only thing left to do, as far as I knew, was to listen to the Chief Minister. Quite frankly, Mr Speaker, I listen to the Chief Minister so often that I managed to - - -

MR SPEAKER: I have the same feeling about all of you.

MR WHITECROSS: I managed to tear myself away at that point, because I had another function to attend. In fact, I was half-an-hour late for that other function, Mr Speaker, because - - -

Mrs Carnell: We all have another function now.

MR WHITECROSS: You will just have to wait until I finish my speech.

Mr Berry: You can go, if you like, if you are game.

MR WHITECROSS: Yes, you can leave now; you do not have to stay. Mr Speaker, I had to tear myself away to attend another function, which I did, happily and proudly having enjoyed myself at the function. I was certainly not scuttling out the door with my tail between my legs, or anything like what Mrs Carnell was saying.

I was interested, however, in her remarks that her conviction that we will fill the Bruce Stadium with 40,000 people eight times in a fortnight during the Olympic soccer program was based on faith. I was also interested that the president of the Canberra Cosmos, Ian Knop, put out a press release yesterday - rather like, I thought, a faith-healer at a tent meeting or a medium at a seance - saying that it will not happen unless everyone believes it.

Mr Speaker, the Labor Party is keen to see everything that happens in Canberra being a success; we are keen to see Olympic soccer played in Canberra. But we are also keen to see the Canberra community told the truth. We are also keen to see the leaders in our community, including the Chief Minister, being realistic, forthright and honest in their approach to these events. Suggesting that we can draw the same crowds to events in Canberra as can a city three times our size, in a region six times our size, just is not realistic. It should not be forgotten, Mr Speaker, that there were six events held in Birmingham, whereas they are proposing to hold eight in Canberra.

Anyway, Mr Speaker, I simply wish to say that, as a proud and long-time resident of Canberra, I am keen to see Canberra being successful in everything it does. As a supporter of soccer for over 20 years, I am keen to see high-quality soccer matches played in Canberra. But I am not keen to see millions and millions of dollars of taxpayers' money being spent on the strength of a distorted vision of what is going to happen when Olympic soccer comes to town, and I and other members of the Labor Party will continue to scrutinise this Government's action.

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