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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 8 Hansard (25 August) . . Page.. 2394 ..


MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, perhaps I can add a little on the issue of the timing of this matter. The Government has said that in October we will bring down a broad drug strategy. But there is an urgency, Mr Speaker. I think it is illustrated by a conversation I had in my home in the last couple of days, and I think it is really rather poignant. We were discussing the notion of self-cleaning toilets. My son thought it would be a very good idea to have self-cleaning toilets in bathrooms, and one can understand why. I said, "We do have a similar thing with the Excel loos in Civic". He said, "Oh, yes, I was going past one of those the other day on my skateboard and I saw somebody who was dead, and he'd OD'd". I said, "How did you know that?". He said, "Well, the police were there and they were taking photos". I do not know what time he was referring to. I should have asked. My older son said, "See, dad, you really have to get your safe injecting room going because that is a life that is lost while we are taking too long to get this up".

Canberra Tourism and Events Corporation

MS TUCKER: My question is directed to the Chief Minister in her role as being responsible for tourism promotion in the ACT and it relates to the publication called "Canberra's Top Secret Tour" which describes a self-drive tour of places in Canberra linked to defence and intelligence activities. The tour was originally put together by the late Fred Daly. This book states that it is produced by Tourist Tours Australia Pty Ltd. I understand that Tourist Tours Australia in fact is not a company but is a business name owned by another company called the Radio and Television Academy. This company happens to be fully owned by David Marshall and his wife, Christine Marshall. David Marshall, as you would know, is also the Chief Executive of the Canberra Tourism and Events Corporation. I think if you look carefully it even looks like David Marshall is the spy on the cover of the book. Chief Minister, do you think it is appropriate for the Chief Executive of CTEC to have his own tourism business on the side which produces a book that is being sold at CTEC's Canberra Visitor Centre and whose web site is also linked to the CTEC web site?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, the Government is very well aware of Mr Marshall's involvement in this company. He has made it clear right from the beginning. I think the rule that exists in, I suspect, every public service around Australia is that we expect full disclosure from people like Mr Marshall in these sorts of areas. I do not believe there is any conflict of interest at all. There probably is a synergy, shall we say. Mr Marshall is out there attempting to improve tourism for the ACT. That is exactly what his job is.

MS TUCKER: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Chief Minister, do you also think it was appropriate for David Marshall to be quoted as the Chief Executive of CTEC in a Canberra Times article on 16 January promoting this book with no acknowledgment that he is also the publisher of the book?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I do not think that is a matter for me to make a comment on. I am very well aware of Mr Marshall's involvement in this company. As I say, it has not exactly been a secret from anybody. As Ms Tucker commented, it is on the front page of the book involved. Some public servants do have an involvement in other


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