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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 10 Hansard (13 October) . . Page.. 3057 ..

MS CARNELL (continuing):

The indirect benefits are significantly broader than that. In fact, various figures have been come up with by varying people, I have to say. But there are benefits in having literally billions of people - in cumulative terms, anyway - seeing Canberra and seeing the cameos, as they are called, of the national capital during Olympic events. I understand - and I stand to be corrected if the numbers are wrong - that SOCOG have already shot something like four cameos in Canberra to plug into various Olympic events. I am sure all of us remember seeing in Atlanta and Barcelona the wonderful little segments that they ran of the various cities that the Olympics were being staged in.

When you look at the figures for Barcelona - and I have not seen the Atlanta ones yet - you see a quite significant increase in tourism, not just during the Olympics but also after the Olympics as a result of the profile which the varying cities involved actually received during the Games. It was quite stunning. The benefits that run from the Olympics even now, Mr Stanhope - the visiting press, the visiting media delegations that have already started coming through Canberra to do reconnaissance visits in the lead-up to the Games, just to get a feel for the sorts of things they will be doing and the stories they are going to be able to run while they are here - are not insignificant. In fact, a Paralympic delegation will visit Canberra tomorrow to have a look at our facilities. A delegation from Brazil was here last week. Again, all of those things are quite definite economic benefits as a result of the Olympics. So, Mr Speaker, the two figures are quite definitely direct benefit and indirect benefit.

MR STANHOPE: My supplementary question is to the Chief Minister. In the Chief Minister's answer to Mr Whitecross, to the question which I referred to previously, she referred to an assessment of the economic benefits from the soccer matches that were then being undertaken by the Office of Financial Management in her department. Can the Chief Minister tell the Assembly whether or not the assessment proceeded? If so, will the Chief Minister table it?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I have to tell you that I am losing a lot of patience with those opposite.

Mr Stanhope: We are shattered.

MR SPEAKER: Order! So am I.

MS CARNELL: Mr Stanhope cannot have it both ways. He was out there - - -

Mr Hargreaves: Yes, he can.

MS CARNELL: Mr Hargreaves just said, "Yes, he can". He tries to, I agree, but I would have to say that it is not all right any more. You cannot get out there and say, "Yes, I support the Games," as Mr Stanhope did last week.

Mr Quinlan: Yes, you can.

Mr Corbell: Here we go.

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