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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 3 Hansard (7 March) . . Page.. 609 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

disposable income? Why would they not seek to intrude into that marketplace? It just makes no sense whatever. Suggestions that we can protect our present position through the existing hedging contracts being continued are, frankly, extremely short-sighted. Mr Speaker, I believe that there is little basis for the claims of the institute and I believe that the Assembly should proceed on the basis that the warnings clearly sounded from a number of quarters ought to be heard and heeded.

MR HARGREAVES: My question is to the Minister for Urban Services. Minister, IPARC has indicated that there will be a 3 per cent increase in monthly, weekly and quarterly tickets for buses, but not in cash fares or school fares. Will this 3 per cent rise apply to pensioner and other concession fares? Is it expected that, due to the GST, all fares - all fares - will rise by 9 per cent on 1 July?

MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, I believe the reason that it applies to the prepaid tickets is that there is a capacity in there for an increase. If you put it into the cash fares you would end up with odd amounts and that would make it difficult. It would become a disincentive for people to pay cash. We are still awaiting the final determination on the impact of the GST on the fares. Indeed, there was a radio report either this morning or yesterday that it is not expected that the full impact of 10 per cent would be added to the top of the fares, but it is yet to be finalised. When we have that detail, we will know what we can pass on to the consumer.

MR HARGREAVES: Minister, you did not answer part of the question, so I will rephrase it as a supplementary question. Will you rule out the application of the 3 per cent rise to pensioner and other concession rates? If not, will you compensate these people by allowing them to use their concessions during peak times?

MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, we will be looking very closely at what IPARC has said. The reason the concessions are not available during peak times is that, of course, it is at peak times that we have to move a large number of people . It is the time that we make the most revenue from the system and it is actually the time that we provide the most service. It is reasonable that those on concessions should use them outside that period.

MR OSBORNE: My question is to the Chief Minister and relates to the concert at Bruce Stadium the other night. Chief Minister, was a break-even figure set for ticket sales for the concert? If that is the case, could you tell me how many tickets were, in fact, sold prior to the concert going ahead?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, my advice on the number of tickets sold was that it was over 10,000. From memory - I will check this and correct it if I am wrong - the break-even figure was in the vicinity of 7,000 to 8,000. Certainly, the figure of 10,000 was significantly above the break-even point.

I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.

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