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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 5 Hansard (3 May) . . Page.. 1439 ..

AFL matches at Manuka Oval

MR OSBORNE: Mr Speaker, I am more confused than ever after listening to what has been said over the last 15 minutes. My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, the budget that was released on Tuesday places some emphasis on sports-based tourism and in particular attracting at least six Australian Football League matches to Manuka Oval next year.

This year there are four matches planned to take place in Canberra. The next of these, and the first of the regular season, is between North Melbourne and St Kilda on 19 May, just over two weeks away. Negotiations for this match between the AFL, the North Melbourne Football Club and the ACT government began at the beginning of September last year. With the match just 16 days away and with thousands of tickets for the match already sold, can you inform us if the contract for this match has been signed by all parties.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I-

Mr Osborne: I have got the answer, Mr Speaker, if he wants it.

MR HUMPHRIES: Can he provide it, Mr Speaker, because I do not have the answer? I will take the question on notice. Mr Osborne wants to tell us what the answer is.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Osborne, do you have a supplementary?

MR OSBORNE: Thank you Mr Speaker. The answer is no, and this concerns me.

Mr Wood: You are not very good on contracts over there.

MR SPEAKER: Order! The member is asking a supplementary.

MR OSBORNE: I would encourage the government to look into this because we are 16 days away and I would hate to think that the match would fall over.

MR SPEAKER: Resume your seat, Mr Osborne.

MR OSBORNE: I am going into my supplementary, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: You are not allowed to give a preamble. In fairness to other members, we are finishing question time at 3 o'clock. Speed it up.

MR OSBORNE: Thank you. I will read to the Chief Minister a small piece from a two-page letter of Tuesday of this week from the Kangaroos to the ACT government. It says that there are a number of significant issues that require resolution before the AFL and the Kangaroos can sign off and there are 19 issues that need to be resolved within two weeks.

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