Free Ride Here - But Only If You're A Politician

Sydney Morning Herald

Wednesday April 19, 2006

Daniel Lewis Regional Reporter

THE high cost of going to the Royal Easter Show is usually a burden for parents - unless dad is a politician.

The Premier, Morris Iemma, his wife and four children got in for nothing yesterday - usual cost $97.

Mr Iemma, along with ministers Eric Roozendaal, Michael Costa and Joe Tripodi, were given free admission to the show to attend a cabinet meeting at the showground, with Mr Iemma taking the opportunity to take along his family for rides and showbags.

The Royal Agricultural Society invited the ministersto the show free of charge to lobby for help in funding tens of millions of dollars worth of upgrades that it wants to make to the 30-hectare site at Homebush Bay.

But in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Victoria's Premier, Steve Bracks, urged politicians to buy tickets for sporting events out of their own pockets rather than accept corporate hospitality.

The president of the agricultural society, Rob Vickery, said yesterday it was only fitting that the ministers attended the show given that it was one of the world's great events and a report commissioned last year showed it had an economic impact of $462 million a year.

Todd Hayward, a spokesman for the Premier, said ministers had attended the show as part of the Government's commitment to hold meetings in rural, regional and suburban centres. It also allowed them to meet with rural leaders to discuss the drought.

The media is always given free admission to the show.

The Iemma family took in the woodchopping, animal nursery, district produce displays, the sheep pavilion, several rides and showbags.

Mr Iemma said a visit to the show was a regular event for himself, his wife Santina, Clara, 7, Matthew, 5, and twins Joshua and Luca, aged 2.

But at this year's show - the first for Mr Iemma as premier - he was the chaperoned by the show's chief executive, Roger Perkins, and plainclothes police officers.

"That's the Premier of NSW pushing a pram," gasped one showgoer.

The Agostino and Elturk families, from Ermington, said it was wonderful to see their Premier mixing with the public at the show.

© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald

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