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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 02 Hansard (Thursday, 4 March 2004) . . Page.. 747 ..

Australian Matildas. We have introduced the three for four rule for poker machines and increased funding flows directly to women’s sport, increased the actual donations.

Beginning with the 2003-04 budget, the current budget, we have introduced $80,000 per year to provide for women’s sport, $60,000 of it direct to sports programs for women and $20,000 for five coaching scholarships for women in sport. We have introduced an actively ageing program. Let me say that it has over 100 participants already and is growing. About 65 per cent of the participants in that are women. So it goes from activity in the local school hall right through to our elite teams.

This morning I had the great pleasure of farewelling three ACT Academy of Sport cyclists: Oenone Wood, a national champion—if you have not heard of her you do not read the paper or watch television; and Margaret Hemsley and Alison Wright, who are in the shadow Olympic cycling team. While I am on my feet I congratulate ACTAS’s women’s cycling coach, Warren McDonald, who is now the Olympic women’s road team coach. The potential for Canberra and the ACT Academy of Sport to be represented at the Olympics and to share in the medals is very high. It is high, in part, because of the activities of the Academy of Sport.

Mr Speaker, I think that you would have to agree that overall this government has picked up and fulfilled its commitment to promote women’s sport. We recognise that there is more ground to be made, but positive results are already being achieved and we intend to continue this push. It is pleasing to note that, in terms of the participation of girls in sport, the ACT ranks first in the nation. It is pleasing to note that there has been a tremendous growth in women’s soccer and the participation of women in touch football, et cetera. I think that we have, amongst some of the dark matters that we have been going through in recent times, reasons to celebrate the performance of the ACT, particularly in women’s sport.

Canberra—advertising campaign

MS DUNDAS: My question without notice is directed to the minister for tourism. Given that an interstate firm was chosen to produce the cover design for the “Do you see yourself in Canberra?” brochure, is the minister able to inform the Assembly what other firms were involved in the production of the “Do you see yourself in Canberra?” advertising campaign, including the production of the slogan? How many of those firms were based in Canberra?

MR QUINLAN: I cannot give the member a list of the firms, so I will take that question on notice. Interstate firms were certainly involved in the competitive process. When I discussed this matter with ACT Tourism I established that local firms were involved in the campaign process and that will continue to occur. As I do not carry that sort of detail around with me, I will take that question on notice and obtain those details for the member. As I said earlier, I have inquired about this matter. I have been assured that, where possible, given the competitive environment and the requirements that are placed on government agencies, local participation will be maximised. I will obtain those details later.

MS DUNDAS: I ask a supplementary question. The minister said that he would take my earlier question on notice. Would he also like to explain why interstate companies were

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