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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 12 Hansard (12 November) . . Page.. 3481 ..

MR SMYTH: I thank members for that. Mr Speaker, I will conclude by quoting from the program of the Celebration of Life Gala Dinner and Auction, Australian Breast Cancer Day, 28 October, 2002 the message that Bosom Buddies wants to get out. It reads:

If a woman looked at her breasts as often as a man does, we would lower the rate of breast cancer. Breast self-examination once a month, start today.

Canberra airport

MRS DUNNE (5.54): Mr Speaker, on 26 September, Mr Hargreaves rose in this place to have some things to say about the Canberra airport being a horrible place and doing a great disservice to the people of Canberra. At the time, I was critical of Mr Hargreaves for what I considered the politics of envy, his outdated approach to planning and development in Canberra and his inappropriate approach to the private investment that is going on at the Canberra airport. I was very chuffed today to notice a press release from the Chief Minister headed, "Canberra international airport wins major airport of the year award for 2002". The press release starts by saying,

Chief Minister...today congratulated Canberra International Airport on winning the 2002 award for Major Airport of the Year.

This award is open to airports with a turnover in excess of one million passengers per year.

That means that the Canberra airport was up against the big players in the industry, such as Kingsford Smith, Tullamarine and Brisbane. It is a feather in our cap and a great fillip to Canberra to find that the Canberra international airport has become the airport of the year.

One of the things that particularly impressed the people who judged the airport of the year award was, in fact, the thing that most got under Mr Hargreaves' skin. The airport won on the basis of 15 initiatives completed during the year. Particularly outstanding were the development of the Brindabella Business Park and the widening of the runway for head of state aircraft.

Mr Stanhope, who obviously has a different view about the airport from his colleague, finished by saying:

These developments are significant. But of equal significance to regional residents is the assistance that Canberra International Airport provided to Virgin Blue, Hazleton and Kendall Airlines, which helped ensure that Canberra retained services, and more important, competition, after the collapse of Ansett.

Congratulations to the Canberra airport.

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