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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 8 Hansard (30 August) . . Page.. 2621 ..
MR STEFANIAK (continuing):
Whilst I appreciate what members of the opposition are actually doing here in their support for the dragway, which is much greater support for motor sport generally than I have seen in this place for some time, I think they do need to exercise caution in what they say and what they actually do. In fact, I wonder what action they have taken other than just bringing this matter to the Assembly and criticising the government. For example, I wonder whether the opposition has done what I did and what I think was done by my colleague Mr Smyth, who is nodding his head, and actually write to the relevant federal departments when the issue was first raised some years ago.
I wrote to the Minister for Defence, to some bureaucrat in Defence, to Jackie Kelly and to Margaret Reid as President of the Senate enlisting their support in doing all they could to assist the dragway in terms of getting that lease, which was a Commonwealth lease, reassigned to the dragway for 10 years. I wonder whether the opposition did that, too. I have some knowledge of this matter, having gone through it with them, and to my mind-I am expressing a personal view here-it is very much a matter for the Commonwealth, and I would think fairness would dictate that the Commonwealth should redo that lease and, whatever flows from that, so be it.
I am not going to go into that because I am uncertain as to the status of the appeal and what the learned judge said in relation to the Commonwealth part of it. But, quite clearly, I would be delighted if it ended up satisfactorily for the dragway in terms of the Commonwealth. Ultimately, whatever happens to the court case, the dragway will not remain at Fairbairn down the track. Fairbairn is developing and it would seem unlikely, given the attitude of the Commonwealth in this matter and whatever happens to this renewal, that it will go past there. The initial lease, at any rate, was for 10 years. So there is a very real need to look at other facilities, other suitable permanent venues, not just for drag-racing but for motor racing generally.
It is quite clear to me that motor sport in general is a very popular sport, as we have see from the V8 supercar race. Our Chief Minister was completely vindicated in her efforts to get that race. People love motor sport. It is one of the biggest sports followed by people in Australia. Drag-racing is very popular. I have been out to the track on a number of occasions. Lots of people like it. Lots of ordinary, average, law-abiding, decent Canberrans go out there and enjoy it.
I completely disagree with the rather negative and, I would say, elitist comments made by Ms Tucker in relation to that sport. From what I can see, it is well run and lots of people like it. (Extension of time granted) It is a question of balancing rights and lawful activity, and motor sport is a lawful activity. Balancing rights means doing just that, not coming down overly much in a heavy-handed way on one side or the other. Surely that is wrong. Ms Tucker believes in consultation. I would hope she believes in a fair go for all.
Ms Tucker: I am not saying ban it; I am just saying do not pay for it.
MR STEFANIAK
: It does not sound like it, Kerrie. I think we do need a fair go for everything here. Blind Freddy could tell you that drag-racing brings significant economic and social benefits to the ACT community, as does motor sport generally. We have no drama with Mr Corbell's motion, although I think it has very much a political slant to it. The timing of this motion might be important to an event later today. My comments to him would be: next time, think it through a lot better than you have and give a lot more
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