Page 2956 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 20 September 2006

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .


Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker, there are clear rules about supplementary questions. They have to relate to the principal question. Ms Porter is asking the Chief Minister to give an exposition on the wine industry because she happened to mention Focus on Business in the first part of the question. It is clearly out of order.

MR SPEAKER: I would be surprised if the wine industry was not represented at the Focus on Business event.

MR STANHOPE: The wine was particularly represented. A Canberra region wine company, Klonakilla, was a recipient of one of the Chief Minister’s export awards for agribusiness. This was a significant event at the focus on business event this year.

The export awards were one of the most significant of the many events that the Liberal Party boycotted. It was a great pleasure for me to announce the export awards and to present to Tim Kirk of Klonakilla the award for the major agribusiness exporter of the ACT. Tim told me in conversation that he now sells more Klonakilla wine in New York than he does in Canberra.

It is relevant to any discussion on business and the strengthening of our economy and the broadening of our revenue base to talk about all of the opportunities that present. One of the great opportunities that this region needs to grasp is the potential that the wine industry presents. But the Liberal party has a position of opposition. We saw this just yesterday when Mrs Dunne once again refused to grant a pair to an ACT government minister to enable the minister to attend the significant launch of the—

Mrs Dunne: He was not here. I offered a pair and I was told that no government member was attending.

MR STANHOPE: Because the refusal of a pair to a government member to attend the riesling challenge launch—

Mrs Dunne: That is a lie. I said, “Does anyone else want the pair?” Mr Barr was not here. That is not true.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mrs Dunne, control yourself.

Mrs Dunne: That is your fault.

MR SPEAKER: Order, Mrs Dunne!

Mr Barr: I do not know that it is, actually.

MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Barr!

MR STANHOPE: It is a matter of major concern to the government that it was not able to attend the riesling challenge launch yesterday because of the refusal of the Liberal Party to provide a pair to the government. It was commented on by those that were there. Mr Smyth, who wandered along, was approached and asked on what basis he was there in a circumstance in which the government was refused attendance. This is the


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .