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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 5 Hansard (10 May) . . Page.. 1395 ..

MR STEFANIAK (Minister for Education) (4.32): Mr Deputy Speaker, I still detected a degree of negativity, like "investing a significant amount of money into the private sector yet once again". Actually, when members look at the various businesses that this government has supported, invariably that has not involved a great deal of money. This one, which does involve a reasonable amount of money, is one that actually stands out as being where money was invested, but for an excellent reason, Mr Deputy Speaker.

I think we already are starting to see the benefit of Impulse Airlines being based in Canberra. I understand that Ansett Airlines is now dropping its fares. No doubt Qantas will do the same. We will see a significant decrease in fares and an increase, perhaps, in passengers utilising the airport. It certainly is a win, win, win situation for the consumer.

Another big win is the fact that we get our own aircraft maintenance industry going in Canberra and some 400 jobs all up. I think that is correct; that 400 jobs will be created as a result of this airline basing itself in Canberra. The fact that we actually have an airline, a major industrial concern, basing itself in Canberra is terribly significant, and people should not lose sight of it.

Canberra Airport is changing. It is now owned by a private corporation. The RAAF base at Fairbairn will be changing its operations and winding them down. There are some excellent opportunities for the private sector to get involved; to keep up the momentum of what has been there for many decades in terms of the airport being run as a federal instrumentality and as a defence facility, and to take up the slack that might well occur when a lot of the RAAF operations are moved elsewhere. I understand that they will be moving part of their operations over to the domestic terminal.

What Impulse is doing effectively is not only taking up any slack that might occur as a result of the downgrading of the RAAF operation at Fairbairn, but also injecting much needed additional jobs and additional funds into our economy through those people who will now be living in Canberra. There will be an additional skills base for Canberra, additional opportunities for young Canberrans, and perhaps not so young Canberrans, to get into a different kind of industry in Canberra which they had no opportunity of getting into before. There has to be a certain status to a city which has an aircraft industry and an airline base, which is something we have not had before. It is just one further step that advances this city in terms of it being a major city in Australia. Quite clearly, Mr Deputy Speaker, it is a win, win situation for all concerned.

Look at how much the territory has paid out for this. As previous speakers have mentioned, or as was mentioned in the debate in March, there are certain conditions. Even at this very early stage-and let us face it, we are only weeks into it-very clearly it is money well spent, Mr Deputy Speaker. I think it was very appropriate for Mr Hird to bring this up for debate as a matter of public importance. Quite clearly, the significance for the ACT and the region of Impulse Airlines establishing operations here in Canberra is very considerable indeed. In fact, it may well have bigger and more positive ramifications than we might be considering possible at this time.

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