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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 08 Hansard (Tuesday, 3 August 2004) . . Page.. 3379 ..

It is very much so that some of the players from the ACT were largely instrumental in our winning the 1999 World Cup. Who can forget the magnificent field goal by Steve Larkham actually to get us into the final, certainly the magnificent efforts of Joe Roff during that series and in the final Owen Finegan’s magnificent try to put the issue beyond doubt? I do not think anyone can argue—and I do not think even the most biased New South Wales or Queensland supporter could argue—that the ACT certainly has not done more than pull its weight and has, in, fact punched well above its weight in terms of both the Super 12s and at the international level in terms of the players who represent Australia.

Therefore I commend my colleague Mr Smyth for taking up this issue with the ARU. I will do the same and I am more than happy to meet with them. It might well be sensible for this Assembly to consider doing something too because I think this is a stark instance of a grave injustice that is being suffered here to one of our premier sporting bodies which should be represented on this national body and which is not.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

The Assembly adjourned at 5.59 pm.

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