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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 7 Hansard (2 July) . . Page.. 2233 ..

MR RUGENDYKE (continuing):

The introduction of speed cameras also stands to impact on Canberrans. I again make the point that these have to be controlled by police. I believe that it is important that a committee involving Urban Services, the AFP and the NRMA cooperate to formalise an appropriate phase-in and implementation strategy.

Mr Speaker, in relation to the Bruce Stadium issue, there is no question that the Government should have instigated a capital injection from the Central Financing Unit and appropriated it in the budget when extra funds were required for the redevelopment. I have made this point strongly and I hope that the Government has taken these criticisms on board. I expect prudent financial management from this Government and prudent financial decisions. It would be unwise of the Government not to take my censure of the Chief Minister seriously.

Finally, I urge the Government to pay close attention to my electorate of Belconnen in the year ahead. The city centre is benefiting enormously from projects implemented by this Government. I would just like to give a gentle reminder that Belconnen is not a brand spanking new area any more and revitalisation work there should be closely assessed. I questioned the Chief Minister today on a possible theme park for Canberra. If it were to go ahead, I believe that it would have the potential to provide excellent benefits for the community and businesses in Belconnen. Should this transpire, I urge the Government to put Belconnen at the top of the location list.

Mr Speaker, just in passing, I think it is important to mention that today is the last day of the employment of Kirsten Lawson in the Assembly. She is heading up the hill as a promotion and, on behalf of the Assembly, I take this opportunity to congratulate her on her time here and wish her well in the future.

MR STEFANIAK (Minister for Education) (10.05): Mr Speaker, I thank all members for their comments. Whilst the Government does not agree by any means with all the recommendations of the Estimates Committee - we disagree with a number in relation to education and the budget in general - might I just say in terms of the running of the Estimates Committee hearings for Education and Community Services that I was quite impressed with the way Mr Corbell chaired that segment. I cannot comment on the rest, but I congratulate him on that at his first Estimates Committee hearing as chair. I thought he did a very good job, and we finished absolutely dead on time for that segment. So I would echo what Mr Rugendyke had to say there.

Mr Berry: You did not take any notice of his recommendations. Why did you not adopt his recommendations?

MR STEFANIAK: While I did not agree with some recommendations, Mr Berry, I was complimenting him on his chairmanship of the education section, not his support for those recommendations which we do not agree with. I will go through a number of the areas that each member raised in relation to the education budget, Mr Speaker, and perhaps make some more general comments as I do so. I will deal specifically with the education issues first and then the sport issues, because a few members mentioned those.

Mr Stanhope: I mentioned Belconnen Pool, too, a little earlier.

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