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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 5 Hansard (4 May) . . Page.. 1302 ..

MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, my question is also to the Chief Minister. It is not quite as global as that from the Leader of the Opposition. Chief Minister, about a year-and-a-half ago you announced a business deal with the giant Japanese owned multinational Fujitsu. Under that deal they were offered substantial incentives for locating a significant part of their operations in the ACT. I understand that the central feature of this deal was that Fujitsu would establish a computer support and telephone help centre for its customers, partly in the former Health Department headquarters in Moore Street, Civic. Chief Minister, can you tell the Assembly the total value of the taxpayer-funded incentives that went to Fujitsu, including both cash contributions and forgone revenue to the Territory?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, the predominant amount of money for Fujitsu - I will get Mr Kaine the exact figures - was involved in a refit of some office space and payroll tax incentives. They were tied up with how many staff they actually put on. Fujitsu are continuing to operate, to put staff on, and I will find out for Mr Kaine exactly what incentives have been provided at this time to Fujitsu.

MR KAINE: I have a supplementary question, given that there were incentives paid and there has been revenue forgone to attract Fujitsu here. My recollection is that at the time it was said that Fujitsu would locate a work force of some 900 full-time employees in the ACT. Chief Minister, how many of those 900 full-time jobs have, in fact, materialised? It is now a year-and-a-half later. There must be a significant number of them in place, presumably.

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I will find out for Mr Kaine exactly how many are in place. Certainly, last time I checked, it was not nearly at the level of 900, I have to say; but I think I have made the comment before in the public arena that the jobs have not been coming so quickly. I do not know how many they are up to at the moment. Remember, with revenue forgone you do not forgo the revenue unless they put the staff on, so there is a chicken and egg scenario there, Mr Speaker. Fujitsu do have not insignificant staff here in the ACT. I will find out just how many they have put on at this stage at the Asia-Pacific help desk and other associated operations.

MR QUINLAN: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister and relates to Bruce Stadium. Today's Canberra Times included a letter to the editor reporting some quite extraordinary projections for attendances that purport to be drawn from the stadium business plan. Can the Chief Minister confirm that the figures included in the Canberra Times were indicative of the numbers used in the Bruce Stadium business plan? Let me remind you that we are talking about average crowds at major rugby league games of 18,000, with a 71 per cent attendance, at rugby union of 16,500, and at soccer of 10,000 per game on average.

Mr Osborne: I must be making a comeback.

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