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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 3 Hansard (9 March) . . Page.. 772 ..

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I think it is really important to remember that it was BOPL that entered into the relationship with the International Touring Co., not the ACT Government itself. The reason that this is important is, I would assume, that this Assembly would be wanting the new stadium authority - - -

Mr Corbell: This is a joke. Was not BOPL part of the ACT Government last year?

MR SPEAKER: I warn you, Mr Corbell.

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I would assume that this Assembly would want the stadium authority to be out there attempting to get business to the stadium. I would have thought that we wanted them to actually make a quid and not be like Bruce Stadium was under the previous Government - losing money every year. Maybe those opposite do not like that, but the reality is that the stadium was always a drain on the Territory.

Mr Speaker, the concert was not underwritten. It was a joint venture. That is a very different scenario. A joint venture is where you get half of the profits, Mr Speaker, and there would have been significant profits if the concert had gone ahead. It is interesting and I really believe it is important that the Assembly thinks about this. The stadium authority will obviously be out there in the market, hopefully often and regularly, attracting these sorts of concerts and events, whether they be local, community, international or whatever, to get revenue for the stadium because we want them to make a dollar, we want them to get off the public payroll. That is basically the whole point of the exercise. Therefore, Mr Speaker, I have to say we will want them to go into joint ventures - I assume that everybody will want them to - particularly joint ventures that, as this one may have, are potentially going to make a lot of money.

MR HARGREAVES: My question follows on from Mr Rugendyke's, curiously, and I am referring to the statement the Chief Minister just made that it is not the Government that goes into this thing, it is BOPL.

Mr Moore: Is that for the Chief Minister?

MR SPEAKER: To whom is the question addressed, Mr Hargreaves?

MR HARGREAVES: Mr Speaker, it is addressed to the Chief Minister.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you.

MR HARGREAVES: I said, Mr Speaker, that it follows on. So if the impatient Mr Moore will just hang on for a second he will find out. Last night on Prime Television, Mr Speaker - - -

MR SPEAKER: Order! I call Mr Moore to order and I will call others to order if they continue to interject.

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