Floriade - Sweet Victory

Wayne Berry - Opposition Spokesperson on Tourism

Media Statement - 24 April 2001

Labor Shadow Tourism Minister Wayne Berry is today celebrating a victory after his three-year campaign to get rid of the Floriade fee and the fences that have undermined Canberra's floral festival.

Mr Berry's announcement follows his long campaign which goes back to the recommendation of an ACT Legislative Assembly Committee he chaired to ditch the fee and his call this morning for the Government to ditch the fee and the fence. The conclusion to this saga is this morning's last minute ditching of the fee which the Government has been stubbornly refusing to do for years.

"It's a victory for all Canberrans," Mr Berry said today, "I only regret that it took so long for the Government to see the light."

"This morning I was calling on the Humphries Government to abandon any sentimental commitment to the silly decisions which came out of the 'can do' government that he and his predecessor Kate Carnell led. The Territory's tourism industry and Floriade should not continue to suffer because of misdirected loyalty to bad decisions of the past.

"And by lunchtime the government had performed a John Howard style back flip and announced that the fee had been ditched as part of next week's budget. It doesn't matter whether this is called a coincidence or a government reaction - it is a sweet victory.

"It is clear that in this election year the Humphries Government has got the wobbles. But it should not have taken a looming election to get the government to listen to what almost everyone has been saying for almost three years.

"I welcome the Government's decision to ditch the fee but question their stubborn commitment to retain the fence.

"There was no need for the hated fence before the fee and there is no need for the fence now that the fee has gone. Turning the event into Stalag Floriade is no way to attract visitors," Mr Berry concluded.