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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 5 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 1466 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

by asking people what they think about the quality of service that they receive. That may be a factor, but it is not the issue that we have proposed in the trial. I have to take the questions Mr Hargreaves has raised and consider them again at the point when progress is made on the question of whether there should be a trial and, in those circumstances, what form it should take.

MR OSBORNE: My question to the Chief Minister is about the Floriade family pass. Chief Minister, when you announced details of the Floriade fee a few weeks ago you also made reference to a free family pass which would be issued to every Canberra household for this year and in subsequent years. The definition of a family in order to qualify for the free pass is either one adult and up to three children or two adults and up to two children. My children are not old enough yet so it does not matter to me, Mr Speaker.

Mr Moore: I was wondering about the conflict of interest.

MR OSBORNE: There is no conflict yet but there could be. Children under 12 are free, so I am all right. Children over 16 are excluded, so obviously I will get to the stage, when I will have four kids in that four-year age bracket. Chief Minister, this working definition of a family will prejudice the chance that many Canberra families have of attending this year's event, because it is too restrictive.

Mr Moore: Not many, just one.

MR OSBORNE: Mr Rugendyke's family too, all 78 of them. I saw Mr Rugendyke turn up at the Raiders launch at the start of the year with his throng, 400 kids. I am pleased I can laugh today, Mr Speaker. David Marshall, the head of the Canberra Tourism and Events Corporation, gave an assurance in the Canberra Times that the gatekeepers would be flexible in their approach to what they considered to be genuine families. Chief Minister, can you give us an assurance today that genuine families with more children than fit this definition will be allowed to use their free family pass? If the gatekeepers at Floriade can come up with a working definition of what constitutes a family, why is it that you and CTEC cannot? Another issue, Mrs Carnell, is the issue of grandparents and people like that. Could you give us an assurance that families like Mr Rugendyke's will not be jeopardised?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, first and foremost, I did not actually announce it. On that basis, I could stop the answer right now but I will not. The decision to go down the path of a charge for Floriade and the associated conditions was made by CTEC and the CTEC board and announced by CTEC and the CTEC board, not the Government at all. But of course the Government totally supports their position.

Mr Corbell: You are the responsible Minister. You are responsible.

MS CARNELL: Absolutely, no doubt. Mr Osborne started by saying "when you announced it, Chief Minister". We did not.

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