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Ms LEE RHIANNON: I direct my question to the Treasurer. Considering that schools in New South Wales are obliged to take an extra week of leave during the September Olympic period and that up to 70,000 children and their parents will be disadvantaged by that decision, does the Treasurer accept that the Government has a responsibility to assist children and their parents who face difficulties in arranging care during the extra week of leave? Will the Government assist the New South Wales vacation care services so they can operate during this extra week?
The Hon. M. R. EGAN: My understanding is that most people, including schoolchildren and their parents, throughout New South Wales are grateful for the change to school holiday arrangements because most families want to participate in the Olympic activities and festivities that will be taking place.
The Hon. D. J. Gay: That is if they have tickets.
The Hon. M. R. EGAN: They do not need tickets. There are many Olympic-related activities. For example, I am sure that hundreds of thousands of people without tickets will be watching the marathon, the triathlon, the yachting and the road cycling.
The Hon. D. J. Gay: Watching the Olympic family in their limousines.
The Hon. M. R. EGAN: Which your government agreed to. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition should have a look at the host city contract, which is now a public document, that George Souris and his ministerial colleagues agreed to. While he is at it, he should read Matthew Moore's article in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald. I do not often agree with the Sydney Morning Herald but that article hit the nail right on the head. I can assure the Hon. Lee Rhiannon that if I were of school age I would be very unhappy if I were forced to be at school whilst the Olympics were being held and I could not participate in the Olympic activities. Most schoolchildren in New South Wales would be very pleased with the holiday arrangements. They are not only going to enjoy the Olympics, they will particularly enjoy the Paralympics.