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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 1 Hansard (18 February) . . Page.. 316 ..

MR KAINE: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. The Minister for sports seemed quite uncertain as to how much the Government has committed itself to. Will he undertake to confirm whether or not the amount is in excess of $600,000 and, if so, by how much? Will he also amplify and tell us how much of it is by way of grant, how much by way of loan and how much by way of guarantee?

MR SPEAKER: Mr Kaine, I am conscious of the fact that your original question has not been answered.

Mr Stefaniak: Not entirely - - -

MR SPEAKER: Just a moment, please. Mr Kaine asked a specific question about costs. It has not been answered. Therefore, if another Minister can answer it and the sports Minister wishes to refer the matter to somebody else, that is perfectly in order. Otherwise, I guess the question has to be taken on notice.

MR STEFANIAK: Mr Speaker, I will refer one thing to the Chief Minister. I can tell Mr Kaine that apart from that $600,000 over three years there is also the Government's initiative last year of assistance for major sporting teams. I understand the Cosmos get $100,000 from that. There is one other area about which I think the Chief Minister is able to answer. That is the business area, and I pass over to her for that.

Mr Kaine: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. I presume you have not yet ruled on whether the sports Minister is the sports Minister.

MR SPEAKER: It is not my position to rule on that, Mr Kaine.

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I can guarantee that Mr Stefaniak is the sports Minister but he is not the Treasurer.

Mr Kaine: The Minister for sport does not know. He does not have a clue. That would be about right.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Kaine, you have asked a question and I think the Chief Minister is about to give you some information about it.

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I am surprised that Mr Kaine needs to ask this question, because he was assistant Treasurer, I seem to remember. Maybe he has forgotten that.

Mr Kaine: I have not been the Minister Assisting the Treasurer for over a year, and a great deal has happened in that time, I am sure.

MS CARNELL: When I give the dates, you will see what I mean, Mr Speaker. A guarantee of payment of up to $200,000 for the Canberra Cosmos was originally signed off on 5 May 1997. Could Mr Kaine have just been the assistant Treasurer at that time? Obviously Mr Kaine forgot. Mr Kaine, I am surprised that you needed to ask the question. The approval of guarantee was signed on the same date and tabled in the

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