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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 6 Hansard (22 May) . . Page.. 1634 ..

MR DE DOMENICO (Minister for Urban Services and Minister for Business, Employment and Tourism) (4.11): Mr Speaker, very briefly, I would like to say that Mr Clive Scollay, whom some people would know as the chief executive officer of Exhibition Park in Canberra and also as a member of the Cultural Council, has sadly decided that he no longer wants to work for us.

Ms McRae: You have driven him away.

MR DE DOMENICO: No. I say that with a smile on my face, because he came to tell me that he has reluctantly accepted a position as chief adviser in arts and tourism to the Prime Minister of Vanuatu. I am serious. He suggested that, being 50 years old, perhaps it is about time he spent two years in Vanuatu lying under the date palms and not spending the winters in Canberra.

Mr Berry: He can drop down to the Numbawan Betting Shop and have a bet on - - -

MR DE DOMENICO: Exactly. It is interesting that Mr Berry is here, and smiling, because Mr Berry would be aware that other things happen in Vanuatu besides arts and tourism - perhaps to the chagrin of Mr Berry and others in this place, I have to say - from time to time. I would just like to say that I appreciate the work that Clive Scollay has done for EPIC and also as a member of the Cultural Council. I am aware of his involvement - he played a big role, in fact - in establishing Arts House in Deakin. He will be sadly missed by the people of the ACT, and we wish him well in his future exploits.

Let me also briefly comment on the remarks made by Mr Berry about what he found to be unfortunate comments made by Mrs Carnell. To a certain extent, I think it behoves us here in this place to perhaps sit back and reflect on what we say from time to time about one another and about other things that come up. As far as the Government is concerned, we would be very happy if remarks made about personalities and their demeanour in this place were not made as often as they are. There is nothing to stop the political banter and the political dogfights. We expect them in a place like this. But I can assure Mr Berry that all members on this side of the house try very hard, I must say, not to get into the personal side of things, and we will continue to do that. It is refreshing that we all agree that these sorts of things should not happen. We will take note of what Mr Berry has had to say, and I am sure that he will take note of what we have to say.

MR SPEAKER: The Speaker would like to endorse those remarks from both sides of the chamber.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

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