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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 5 Hansard (8 May) . . Page.. 1353 ..

Leave granted.

MR SMYTH: I present the following papers:

Airlines-Media releases by Chief Minister-

New Airline for Canberra-ACT Government's aviation and tourism package, dated 27 September 2002.

Kendell Breakthrough: Airline to resume Canberra flights, dated 2 October 2001.

Mr Wood: Is Impulse there too?

MR SMYTH: I can talk to Impulse. I am glad that Mr Wood raises Impulse, because in our efforts in government to build up a new industry we were trying to diversify the employment base of the ACT, to bolster the ACT against downturns in federal government spending and local government spending in the recessions that occasionally come along and make sure we had other things we could build upon. That is what we sought to achieve when we went for the Impulse deal. We set milestones which Qantas tell me-and I have heard confirmation that Qantas have now told Mr Quinlan, and he accepts it-they expect to meet.

If you have been watching the progress of the hanger at the Canberra Airport, you will see that we now have a state-of-the-art facility that will provide us with the basis of a new industry. Hopefully we will get simulators that will make Canberra a hub. We all talk about Canberra being a hub. This is the sort of infrastructure you need in place to make that occur. We went out and got it. Did it work out the way it should have? Not quite but, as the Australian aviation industry and indeed the world aviation industry have proven, aviation is an industry that fluctuates quite a lot.

If you want to talk about Impulse, Mr Wood, I am happy to talk about Impulse. Impulse attempted to provide choice, more seats, price, diversity, job creation and a new industry for the ACT-something we are proud of. At the end of your three years perhaps you will be able to look at the new industries you have helped create in the ACT so that when an Ansett does go bust we have other firms, other industries and other opportunities for the workers who suffer in a personal way when a firm goes under, and we have something for them to go to, to retrain into, to move across to, so that they have the opportunity to continue their lives as they should be allowed to do.

The Liberal Party of the ACT does note and express great concern at the demise of Ansett Airlines. I think we all do. We agree with the paragraph of the motion that refers to the ongoing impact on thousands of Australian employees but particularly those employed in the ACT. We are concerned about the flow-on effects that collapse has had on the tourism industry and other businesses. Although we were sitting on our hands doing nothing, it was great to see the half a million dollars and our other initiatives to promote tourism in the ACT.

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