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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 5 Hansard (4 May) . . Page.. 1325 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

amount of coverage went up from something like 3 per cent. During Atlanta it was about 40 per cent. After that it dropped down to about 10 per cent rather than about 3 per cent. There was certainly a quantum leap generally. In terms of getting the mainstream media to concentrate more, I am not quite sure what to do. Last week we were very lucky to have the Hockeyroos play in Canberra. In terms of an elite women's team, that is right up there with the best. It certainly has to be one of them.

Mr Stanhope: The best sporting team in Australia.

MR STEFANIAK: I have compared them, Mr Stanhope, you will be pleased to know, with some of the great sporting teams in Australian history. We had those brilliant Davis Cup teams. We have had some magnificent Australian cricket teams. There were the Alan Jones Wallabies and the 1991 Wallabies that won the World Cup. We have had some very great rugby league sides. We have had club sides like St George which won 11 premierships on the trot. The Hockeyroos are one of the best sides in the world, and have been since 1988 when they won gold at Seoul. They won at Atlanta and have consistently won international competitions since then. I think they are one of the best Australian sporting teams we have had for many decades, and I wonder how many people appreciate that.

We were lucky to have them, along with South Africa, India and Korea, in some hockey matches over the weekend, which I am pleased to see Australia won. Australia beat the South Africans 5-3 in the last match, and they go on to Perth. It is a good team. It contains the Powell sisters, Lisa and Trini Powell, from Canberra. It is a particularly good team and is a role model for any aspiring female sportsperson. They certainly are great role models. It is one of the best Australian teams in any sport and might be of great assistance in encouraging more women to get out there and have a go at whatever physical activity they enjoy.

MR HIRD (3.58): Mr Speaker, I rise to say to the Chief Minister and her colleagues, the Ministers who prepared the 1999 budget, well done. I say well done also to all those who put in the effort to bring this budget about. The Opposition members are leaving the chamber. They know that this is a good budget.

Mr Berry: Turning up the volume does not increase the quality.

MR HIRD: Mr Speaker, I have to say to the Chief Minister and her officials, well done. I would like to point to three areas in this document entitled "A Clever Caring Community". Mr Berry is leaving the chamber with his head bowed, and so it should be. On page 18 it says:

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