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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 7 Hansard (22 September) . . Page.. 2007 ..


MR MOORE (continuing):

To answer the question about new nurses, yes, we are looking for new nurses in the specialty areas that I indicated, Mr Osborne; but there is no intention to increase the overall number of nurses that we have in the hospital beyond what is the appropriate establishment level. Of course, if we can get the hospital operating more efficiently, then what that will mean is that we can deal with those waiting lists. The other thing I would like to say, finally, Mr Osborne, is that so far there has no been no stress from the maternity ward. That is going extremely well, and you ought to relax.

Marketing and Promotion Campaign

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, my question, through you, is to the Chief Minister. It is about a very unhappy birthday - one about which Canberrans have expressed a strong view. I refer to the silly, second-hand Feel the Power campaign. A year ago the Chief Minister dumped this campaign on an unsuspecting public, and for a year Canberrans have rejected the silly, second-hand slogan. Within the last two weeks Grey Advertising released its publication, Grey Matter. If I were you, I would not confuse that with what you keep in your heads when it comes to the Feel the Power campaign. The publication reports the results of a survey conducted by Canberra Pulse, showing that 72 per cent of respondents expressed their dislike of the use of the silly, second-hand Feel the Power slogan.

Why is it, Chief Minister, that every time Canberrans read the Government's advertisements in the Canberra Times they see the Feel the Power slogan, paid for by the taxpayer on the basis of a percentage of the cost of the advertising? Why is it that the Canberra community, who hate this slogan, have to see it, and pay for it, day by day by day? Why are you so besotted with this silly, second-hand slogan? Will you now, after three surveys have slammed it, drop the ridiculous and silly, second-hand Feel the Power slogan?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, the answer to the first part of the question - why is Feel the Power of Canberra still being used - is that we won the election and Mr Berry lost. The answer to the second part of the question - what are we doing with the Feel the Power slogan - is, as I think I have said in this place on more than one occasion, that the focus of the campaign during this financial year will be more on business attraction, in particular on the development of a direct marketing campaign targeting interstate and international businesses with the potential for relocation in Canberra. This direct marketing campaign will be linked to a familiarisation program, which will see key decision-makers invited to Canberra for detailed business discussions and to take part in high-profile events.

In relation to other initiatives, the branding of events and sponsorships, sponsorship opportunities will also be pursued as a means of promoting Canberra's success stories. Mr Speaker, I thought it was very interesting that Mr Berry should pick up on this particular issue, because one of our very successful people who have been sponsored by


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