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Formal backing
still to come
By PETER CLACK,
City Reporter
An official ACT visit to Ver
sailles in September, as part of
a sister-city relationship with
the county Les Yvelines, has
not yet received formal back
ing by the ACT Government.
The Opposition Leader, Kate
Carnell, seized on the September
visit last week as an opportunity for
the ACT to get a stronger foothold
in the door of the European Eco
nomic Community and to expand
trade links with the strong French
. regional technology industries of
Les Yvelines.
. "Unless the Government em
braces the idea it is inevitable that it
"will fail," Mrs Carnell said.
"It is a foot in the door of the
European market and a chance of
breaking down barriers."
Mrs Carnell called on the Chief
Minister, Rosemary Follett, to ac
company the group to Versailles or
to send a minister, saying it was
important to "sell Canberra" over
seas and to encourage French busi
nesses to open offices in Canberra.
"If the Government finds it im
possible to sell the ACT the Opposi
tion will be looking at doing the
job," she said.
' Mrs Carnell stopped short of vol
Kate Carnell: foot in the door. Help
Kate Carnell: foot in the door.
unletting to go herself but has not
ruled it out.
Ms Follett did not respond last
week to requests for a statement of
the Government, position on the
sister-city link, and a spokesman
said she was in the process of seek
ing further advice.
The ACT Tourism Commission
sent a delegation on earlier visits
and a Sidney Nolan collection was
put on display, accompanied by Sir
Sidney and the Australian Ambas
sador to France.
The French had held a fireworks
spectacular and other functions at
Lake Burley Griffin in March, 1988,
that had cost $1 million.
The president of the Twin Com
munities Association, John Kirby,
is seeking more Canberrans to join
the organised four-day visit to Ver
sailles and seven days in Burgundy,
costing up to $4000 for the full tour.
So far, only 12 people have regis
tered and paid a deposit, but he said
it needed between 20 and 40 people
to be financially viable.
More than 70 people had attend
ed the first ACT visit in 1987, and a
system of exchange students was
begun. So far, 10 ACT students
have visited Versailles on scholar
ships of five months and five
French students will come to Can
berra later this month.
This year is also the 75th anni
versary of the signing of the Vcr- •
sailles Treaty, ending World War I.
A business mission in 1990, led
by ACT businessman John Hind
marsh, established some of the first
commercial links between Can
berra and Les Yvelines.
Mr Hindmarsh said last week
that Les Yvelines was home to
many firms that built components
for the French very-fast-train pro
ject, and some had since established
corporate offices in Canberra.
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