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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 11 Hansard (21 October) . . Page.. 3446 ..
MR STANHOPE: I have a supplementary question. Will the Chief Minister confirm that the Government, through BOPL, in 1998-99 has paid the hirers a total of $2.217m in revenue assurances and gate takings? After BOPL paid the hirers $888,000 in gate takings, what amount was left for BOPL and the Canberra community from gate takings? Can the Chief Minister tell us what proportion of the total of the revenue assurances - and the Chief Minister tells us that the revenue assurances also include gate takings - went to each of the major hirers?
MS CARNELL: The assurances to the hirers, as I understand it, are based upon gate takings and, of course, as well as that, food and beverage sales and so on to a particular level. That is the basis of our undertakings to the major codes. Members are very well aware of that. It has been discussed in this place before.
Mr Berry: Is this the same as SOCOG?
Mr Stanhope: We are not well aware of it at all.
Mr Wood: Not in detail.
MR SPEAKER: Just a moment, please. The Chief Minister is answering the question.
MS CARNELL: No, you are not aware of any of the details. That is true. Mr Speaker, the basis of our guarantees to the hirers, the Brumbies and the Raiders - not to the Cosmos because there are no guarantees at all - is that if they achieve a certain level of revenue, that is people through the gates and sales, then it is basically a break even. If they do not achieve the requirements for people through the gates and sales of food and beverage then the Government will underwrite the difference. That is the basis of the agreement. It is quite simple.
MR QUINLAN: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. Can the Chief Minister advise the Assembly as to an approximate upper limit she would put on the purchase of a single job in cash, tax and land purchase discounts through the business incentive scheme? Is it the $24,000 which has been paid to that struggling little firm, Olivetti Australia Pty Ltd, for each of the three jobs that appear to have been created for $73,000, cash, paid so far out of a promised $90,000, cash? I am sure Olivetti does not really need any cash in advance. Is it the $150,000 plus that has been paid in cash to Coms 21 for zero jobs so far out of a promised 108 jobs? Is it the $100,000 that has been paid in cash to EMIAA, whoever they are, for zero jobs so far and for no specific promise of jobs? What system exists for payment according to achieved results, and what system exists to ensure the veracity of claims of additional jobs being created?
MS CARNELL
: Mr Speaker, the basis of the business incentive scheme is to encourage companies and organisations to set up in Canberra and to expand in Canberra. It has been exceptionally successful, Mr Speaker. From memory, the average cost per job, shall we say, in our business incentive scheme is just over the $2,000 mark. I would have to say that that is money extremely well spent. I think it is $2,100, but I am happy to come back on that. We are certainly somewhere between $2,000 and $2,500.
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