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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 10 Hansard (5 September) . . Page.. 3216 ..

Motion (by Mr Humphries) proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

MS McRAE (6.33): Mr Speaker, I rise to speak on the issue we debated yesterday in relation to the Paralympian parade buses and provision for transport of children to Civic Square. During the debate, Mr De Domenico got terribly excited when I said that I had spoken to Mr Don Allan. I had spoken to Mr Don Allan, and I would now like to go into that in a little more detail. I had spoken to him only about who the Paralympians were and what medals they had. I had not spoken to him at all about the buses. Further conversation today about the buses reveals that part of my original thesis still holds, and can I just say that I am still very disturbed about the article in the Chronicle. The money is to pay for the subsidised buses - there is no question about that - but my point about why on earth those buses have to be paid for at all still holds. I leave that question dangling because I still think it is an ungracious and unfair process. But okay, the $25 is supposed to go to the buses.

What is also further revealed is that what I was calling for yesterday is indeed going to happen: If there is any extra money raised it is to go to the Paralympians. I would very much like to reiterate my original statement that, if that is the case and if the Paralympic Federation is able to donate the money to the Paralympians, the Government should go out of its way to ensure that the buses do not have to be paid for by the Paralympic Federation. I accept Mr De Domenico's point that it began by being a generous gesture of the council, but I also think the people of the ACT would feel even warmer about it if he could find an elegant way not to accept that money. For most schools, there is no question that people are happy to donate that money.

Mr De Domenico: We have.

MS McRAE: I am glad to hear that, Mr De Domenico. The point still is that we have had an unfortunate article in the newspaper, and this is now something the Government could take up. Perhaps not of the making of either Mr Don Allan or Mr De Domenico, the impression is still being given that, unless this money is collected, somehow the parade will be impacted. As I said before, that was not the intent of the newspaper article, Mr Don Allan, Mr De Domenico or anyone else involved, but I think it is worth putting on record that my interpretation of it is exactly the general public's interpretation of it and that perhaps some remedial action on the part of the Government would be worthwhile. In a short press release, it could indicate exactly what the financial arrangements for the buses are and what the new arrangements for these donations are. People are being asked to give $25 specifically for school buses. That is what they are being asked for.

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