Page 3531 - Week 11 - Thursday, 19 September 2013

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Democracy, the National Archives, the National Film And Sound Archive, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Library of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery, Questacon and the Royal Australian Mint.

And then ACT and national organisations: the Canberra Convention Bureau, the Canberra Business Council, the ACT and Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the ACT Law Society, ACTSPORT, ACS, the Australian Information Industry Association, the Australian Hotels Association, the Australian Institute of Architects, the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Australian Institute of Management, the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, the Australian Medical Council Ltd, the Australian Property Institute, the Canberra Airport, the Canberra Institute of Technology, the Chamber of Women in Business, ClubsACT, CollabIT, Consult Australia, the Council on the Ageing, Engineers Australia, Family Business Australia, the Institute of Public Accountants, the Master Builders of the ACT, Medicines Australia, the Motor Trades Association of the ACT, the National Capital Attractions Association, the National Electrical and Communications Association, NICTA, the Property Council of Australia, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, the Real Estate Institute of the ACT, the SIA, Volunteering Australia, the YWCA Canberra, the University of Canberra and the University of New South Wales at ADFA.

That is a list of interested groups and it is an endorsement of the need for a new facility. I have not seen such a list and such unity amongst business and the academic and educational institutes of the ACT in all my time since first getting into parliament in 1995. I think the overwhelming statement of the case for a new convention centre is contained on those two pages. I would urge the government to move swiftly on the proceedings of the conference that we have had over today and will have tomorrow.

Australian Masters Squash Championships

MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (5.08): I would like to speak about the Australian Masters Squash Championships which were held over the first two weeks of September here in Canberra. I express thanks to the ACT government for supporting these championships to be held in Canberra as part of the centenary year. I was honoured to be invited to officially open the event on 1 September.

The Australian Masters Squash Championships bring together players from all over the country and are a chance to make new friends and rekindle old friendships, as well as see the host city at various social events. The visitors had the opportunity to experience a number of the fantastic attractions of our beautiful city while they were here. The Australian Masters Championships offered participants and spectators alike the chance to experience great sporting prowess as well as moments of great sportsmanship. Squash legend Heather Mackay, who was recently named the ACT female athlete of the century, is the patron of masters squash.

With 251 individual competitors and 375 competitors in the teams event, I am mindful of the significant effort involved in organising such an event. I would like to take the chance to acknowledge these people today. First and foremost I would like to thank the 2013 subcommittee who worked tirelessly to ensure this event was a success. That includes Debbie Sims, Scott Caban, Sue Parker and Ron Smith. Additionally, I


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