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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 12 Hansard (13 November) . . Page.. 4095 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

This in itself was a major blow to Canberra. But the Government compounded this by having its Sports Minister Bill Stefaniak announce that it would not put a penny into Bruce Stadium.

It goes on:

The only message coming across to the Olympic Federation is that the Liberal Government of the ACT is unwilling to support its Olympic 2000 Committee, and shows no interest in attracting visitors and sports people to the ACT in 2000.

In this media statement, this Government was also condemned by the Labor Party for failing to spend "the money needed to upgrade Bruce Stadium". They were having a go at this side of the house for not spending the money that was needed to upgrade Bruce Stadium. Remember the quote "the money needed to upgrade Bruce Stadium". That is an interesting statement, indeed, from the Labor Party.

What happened? Japan has not decided yet where its team will train. Canberra did win at least 11 soccer matches and became a host venue for the 2000 Games. At least one country has announced it will train in the ACT. This Government has embarked upon the upgraded facilities for Bruce Stadium that Labor demanded in 1995. So much for consistency! Judging by the media statement from Labor almost two years ago to the day, you would think that the Opposition would be right behind our efforts to increase Canberra's involvement in the Olympics; but you would be wrong, because the Labor Party took a completely opposite tack and began to undermine our Olympic campaign at every opportunity.

Ms McRae: It is still a waste of money.

MRS CARNELL: They have repeatedly attacked the redevelopment of Bruce as "the wrong priority", to quote Mr Berry. Ms McRae just said, "It is still a waste of money". There we are, just for the record - "a waste of money". That is totally unacceptable.

These repeated attacks on the redevelopment of Bruce Stadium, saying it was the wrong priority, and constantly questioning the value of Olympic soccer in Canberra, have not gone unnoticed either in Sydney or in other key places around the world where decisions about Olympics are being made. Regrettably, a number of delegations have commented upon the lack of support from the local Opposition. One or two have even asked whether support would, in fact, be withdrawn if Labor got into government. You cannot blame them for that when you listen to those opposite. I can only tell them what I know, and that is that I do not know what the Labor Party would do. If you listen to what Mr Berry or Mr Whitecross has said lately, you cannot be sure of any Olympic commitment from the Labor Party; and that is despite the criticism of the Government back in 1995 that the Government's inaction was threatening the soccer Olympics for the ACT and that we should be spending the money needed to upgrade Bruce Stadium.

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