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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 5 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 1467 ..


Mr Osborne: I concede that, so just give me the assurance and sit down.

MS CARNELL: No, I will answer the question. As CTEC tells us, or has recommended to us, a family that is a legitimate family, shall we say, or maybe an illegitimate family, as the case may be, will be allowed in on a family pass. That probably does not mean, I have to say, the aunts, the uncles, the cousins and the great nephews. I suspect that the people at the gate may be a little bit concerned if a bus turns up with 57 people.

Mr Smyth: Mr Rugendyke has a bus.

MS CARNELL: Mr Rugendyke's family is in trouble. It looks like Mr Rugendyke's family is out but Mr Osborne's is in. Mr Speaker, quite seriously, there is an effort from CTEC to ensure that families do get in on a family pass.

Taking into account that under-12s are free and over-16s are adults, we are talking about only four years. You have to have more than two kids in that four-year age group. I do not think there are terribly many people who do manage more than two kids in four years. Obviously, Mr Osborne has done very well in that particular area. Mr Speaker, to answer the question seriously, yes, there will be flexibility; yes, legitimate families will be allowed in. What we want to do is make sure that Canberrans enjoy Floriade, and I think they will. Mr Speaker, the weather is coming together beautifully. It is going to be a great Floriade.

MR OSBORNE: I just want to clarify one thing, Mr Speaker. I said I had four kids in four years. It is actually four kids in 41/2 years. I just wanted to get that clear.

Watson Hostel

MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, my question is to Mr Moore. Mr Moore, I think there will be something on the top of your papers since this matter is the subject of a newspaper report today. In recent times there have been concerns about the processes around the closure of Watson Hostel and the impact of that on residents. Today the Canberra Times reports a guardian as saying that she has never received written advice of the pending closure date; nor, she says, was she aware of the intention to assist remaining residents with relocation. Minister, in view of the priority that must be given to the care and comfort of those whose lives have been disrupted, will you spell out all the measures being taken, first, in the residents' relocation and, secondly, in support while that occurs and after?

MR MOORE: Thank you, Mr Wood. I must say that I found the article quite interesting, Mr Wood, because I had been approached myself about somebody who was concerned about a resident of Watson Hostel and the fact that there had been an effort to move this particular person into a nursing home. When I pursued the issue for quite some time, I found that in that particular case the person whom the family either refused to


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