WINTER OLYMPIC TEAM TICKER-TAPE PARADE
The Hon. R. S. L. JONES: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Planning, and Minister for Housing, representing the Minister for Sport, Recreation and Racing. Now that the Government has decided to give the paralympics team the welcome they deserve, will the Minister also allow our winter Olympic team to join in the celebrations, as they were left out of the last ticker-tape parade?
The Hon. R. J. WEBSTER: I thank that well-known sportsman the Hon. R. S. L. Jones for his question. I should point out that some weeks ago, while the paralympic team was still competing at Barcelona, the Premier wrote to the relevant authorities and offered them a ticker-tape parade. The House should be aware that in spite of the best intentions of the Hon. R. S. L. Jones, he was not the originator of the idea; the Premier was. The response received was that they would wait until they returned to Australia to see how they felt and whether or not they could logistically manage their participation in a ticker-tape parade. Obviously, having arrived back in
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Australia, they have now indicated it is their desire to participate in a ticker-tape parade. They are going to have a parade, and I hope every member of this House and everyone in the community will join in it. In relation to the other matter referred to by the Hon. R. S. L. Jones I shall seek advice from my colleague the Minister for Sport. It is important, however, that we do not make too much of this great honour of providing ticker-tape parades for our sportspeople. I am sure that was not the intention.