Page 1941 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 14 May 2013

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things—broken windows or graffiti on the external structures—or it could be fire and significant theft of computers and other equipment. It is illegal and it is wrong, but it is devastating to the school community as well. If a school community turns up to a school where they have had damage, it disrupts the learning capacity of those students as well.

Mr Hanson interjecting—

MS BURCH: Mr Hanson continues to interject. He does not know how to keep quiet. I have to support Dr Bourke’s comment back to you that your continued harassment and bullying and nasty comments to Dr Bourke—

MADAM SPEAKER: Minister Burch!

MS BURCH: is an appalling statement of your own behaviour.

MADAM SPEAKER: Minister Burch, sit down. It is not your job to keep order in this place. Mr Hanson, you will cease interjecting.

Canberra—centenary

MR SESELJA: My question is to the Chief Minister. On Thursday it was announced that the ACT government had paid $172,000 to construct the Skywhale. On Friday it was revealed during a public accounts committee hearing that the total cost of the Skywhale to territory ratepayers could be more than $300,000 for a balloon that we do not own—indeed it is owned by a Melbourne-based business—and that may fly here only infrequently. Finally, official documents show that the Skywhale will cost $334,000. Chief Minister, why did you decide to spend $300,000 or more for a balloon that we do not own and that may only fly here infrequently?

MS GALLAGHER: I thank Mr Seselja for the question. The decision to have a balloon as part of the centenary commissions was contained in the program that everyone got last September. So I think the fact that people are now concerned about it—

Mr Hanson: Not quite what we were expecting, though, was it?

MS GALLAGHER: With the artist, with Patricia Piccinini as the artist—

Mr Hanson: You were expecting it?

MS GALLAGHER: That was in the information that was provided to people in September; that is the point I am making. If you had looked at some of Patricia’s work, I think that would have given you an idea of the fact that it would not be a standard hot-air balloon.

Mr Seselja: That would tell us that it was not going to be owned and that it wasn’t going to fly here very often?


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