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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 11 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 3465 ..
MS CARNELL: As far as I know there are no written reports from the officers. It would not be normal for an officer to provide written reports in those circumstances. Mr Speaker, with regard to the difference between concession and franchise, I think we have a misunderstanding of the two words. The approach of the ACT Government is to go down the path of a concession - that is, the assets stay in the hands of the ACT Government, in the ownership of the ACT Government. Maybe we should use different terminology, maybe consigned or delegated management. In other words, the ACT Government holds ownership of the assets, apart from the pipes, which we have made very clear that we would sell, and the same company which will buy the electricity side of the business will manage the company under a contractual arrangement for a period. That is the basis of the approach that we believe is appropriate.
Mr Moore: The same way we manage Calvary.
MS CARNELL: The point that Mr Moore makes is that it is not an unusual scenario for a private company or for a private sector entity to manage government-owned assets, such as is the case with Calvary Hospital.
MR KAINE: I am quite astonished that an officer goes overseas and submits no report. I just do not believe it, frankly. I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. The Chief Minister attempts to reconcile the two terms, "concession" and "franchise". They are really two quite different things. I refer to the definition of a franchise from the Macquarie Dictionary of Accounting. It is an arrangement under which a special privilege is usually granted to an individual or corporation allowing the applicant to operate a business under certain conditions. So far, so good. It then goes on and it says that McDonald's Family Restaurants and the Kentucky Fried Chicken chains are examples of franchisors. Are we going to have our water supply run by Kentucky Fried Chicken or McDonald's?
MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, probably some of the best service you would ever get is from McDonald's, and the best training of staff. They are some of the most efficient organisations. On the basis that I do not think people want to get hamburgers when they turn on their water, I promise that the approach will ensure that the successful franchisee concession holder or delegated manager of our water assets has significant experience with water, not hamburgers.
MR QUINLAN: My question is to the Minister for Planning and/or the Treasurer, with probably a little attention from Mr Hird. Minister, in answer to a question I placed on the notice paper, you gave us the following information in relation to the writing off of land tax charges and land rent for the ACT Rugby League of almost $50,000. In the answer you said:
Both the ACT Leagues Club Limited and the CDRL -
which is the Canberra District Rugby League -
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