Mr ELFERINK - 2000-10-19
Next week, the Masters Games will be occurring in Alice Springs and I believe Territorians are competing or going to the Paralympics. Can the minister advise the House what the government is doing in support of the Masters Games, and what is happening with the Paralympians?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for his question. Young man that he is, he is still eligible for the Masters Games in the swimming.
In 1986, the CLP government, in what is obviously seen in hindsight as a visionary move, established the first Masters Games in this country. There are now 36 of those types of games held round this country on a regular basis, but the Honda Masters Games in Alice Springs every two years, sets the standard. I would also like to pay public tribute to the support we have had from Honda Australia. They have been with us since the beginning and whilst, sadly, this will be the last event they will be contributing to - they are experiencing a reassessment of their sponsorship around the country - I thank them for their support over the years.
I would also like to add that this government puts $1m every two years into this area, and this has resulted in major economic benefit to Alice Springs, major exposure of the Territory to all parts of the country and, for some years now, competitors at the Honda Masters Games in Alice Springs, have registered to come back the day they leave. In other words, they book two years ahead. They have significant commitment to the games and some of them have actually attended every Masters Games there.
I would like to pay particular thanks to my CEO in Sport and Recreation, Phillip Leslie, and the good work of his department, and also in Alice Springs, under Julie Brimson. I point out to members that about a month ago when they were finalising entries and numbers were a bit down in the Alice Springs area, they came up with an advertising campaign, kept the office open Friday night and all day Saturday and actually boosted numbers dramatically. The numbers in competition this year is a little down on last year, but with more sports, more events, total competitor numbers are down by only 1%, which I regard as a pretty remarkable achievement since we are competing simultaneously against the Olympics, the Paralympics, and indeed, Masters Games events on the Gold Coast. So, that is a good achievement for the Territory.
With regard to the Paralympics, we are on the very eve of competition starting there, and I would just like to pay tribute to the Territorians involved, as I am sure would other members of the House. These are Mark Davies, Nadia Romeo, Melissa Dunn, Bill Medley, Judith Green, Hamish MacDonald and Sam Rickard. Popular Territorian, Hamish MacDonald, ran a leg of the Paralympic torch relay in Canberra and had the honour of lighting the community cauldron there, whilst in the Northern Territory 20 Territorians took part in the relay here.
I would also like to add that this government has assisted each of our Paralympians as, indeed, we assisted the Olympians, with cash to support their efforts to go there to the tune of $7500. I wish them all the best and every success. I will be there for a couple of days myself, as I will be at Honda Master Games as a participant, to help them out as well.
I would just like to finish in giving the member for Stuart a bit of information in response to a question he asked earlier when he made the statement that the CEO of the Education Department had told people in the centre that 70 to 80 jobs were in trouble. Not true!
Members: Not the CEO.
Mr LUGG: So you accept you told a fib.The statement was never made that there were 70 to 80 jobs in trouble. What was actually said ...
Mr Stirling: 70 to 100, it was.
Mr LUGG: Oh, so you want to make it worse?
Mr Stirling: No, want to get you accurate
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr LUGG: The information was given that if we continue the way we are, we have to be careful with our money, as would normal departments. The principals are working with us on this and they said: ‘What are we looking at’. And they were told the figure, they said: ‘Look, we can cover that with rearrangements under the formula; we will deploy people, we will take people where they are not needed and put them where they are needed’, and it was only at that stage that someone made this assessment. It had nothing to do with the department, in fact it was someone else, probably yourself.
So there is another example of the deceit that comes into this House.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for his question. Young man that he is, he is still eligible for the Masters Games in the swimming.
In 1986, the CLP government, in what is obviously seen in hindsight as a visionary move, established the first Masters Games in this country. There are now 36 of those types of games held round this country on a regular basis, but the Honda Masters Games in Alice Springs every two years, sets the standard. I would also like to pay public tribute to the support we have had from Honda Australia. They have been with us since the beginning and whilst, sadly, this will be the last event they will be contributing to - they are experiencing a reassessment of their sponsorship around the country - I thank them for their support over the years.
I would also like to add that this government puts $1m every two years into this area, and this has resulted in major economic benefit to Alice Springs, major exposure of the Territory to all parts of the country and, for some years now, competitors at the Honda Masters Games in Alice Springs, have registered to come back the day they leave. In other words, they book two years ahead. They have significant commitment to the games and some of them have actually attended every Masters Games there.
I would like to pay particular thanks to my CEO in Sport and Recreation, Phillip Leslie, and the good work of his department, and also in Alice Springs, under Julie Brimson. I point out to members that about a month ago when they were finalising entries and numbers were a bit down in the Alice Springs area, they came up with an advertising campaign, kept the office open Friday night and all day Saturday and actually boosted numbers dramatically. The numbers in competition this year is a little down on last year, but with more sports, more events, total competitor numbers are down by only 1%, which I regard as a pretty remarkable achievement since we are competing simultaneously against the Olympics, the Paralympics, and indeed, Masters Games events on the Gold Coast. So, that is a good achievement for the Territory.
With regard to the Paralympics, we are on the very eve of competition starting there, and I would just like to pay tribute to the Territorians involved, as I am sure would other members of the House. These are Mark Davies, Nadia Romeo, Melissa Dunn, Bill Medley, Judith Green, Hamish MacDonald and Sam Rickard. Popular Territorian, Hamish MacDonald, ran a leg of the Paralympic torch relay in Canberra and had the honour of lighting the community cauldron there, whilst in the Northern Territory 20 Territorians took part in the relay here.
I would also like to add that this government has assisted each of our Paralympians as, indeed, we assisted the Olympians, with cash to support their efforts to go there to the tune of $7500. I wish them all the best and every success. I will be there for a couple of days myself, as I will be at Honda Master Games as a participant, to help them out as well.
I would just like to finish in giving the member for Stuart a bit of information in response to a question he asked earlier when he made the statement that the CEO of the Education Department had told people in the centre that 70 to 80 jobs were in trouble. Not true!
Members: Not the CEO.
Mr LUGG: So you accept you told a fib.The statement was never made that there were 70 to 80 jobs in trouble. What was actually said ...
Mr Stirling: 70 to 100, it was.
Mr LUGG: Oh, so you want to make it worse?
Mr Stirling: No, want to get you accurate
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr LUGG: The information was given that if we continue the way we are, we have to be careful with our money, as would normal departments. The principals are working with us on this and they said: ‘What are we looking at’. And they were told the figure, they said: ‘Look, we can cover that with rearrangements under the formula; we will deploy people, we will take people where they are not needed and put them where they are needed’, and it was only at that stage that someone made this assessment. It had nothing to do with the department, in fact it was someone else, probably yourself.
So there is another example of the deceit that comes into this House.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016