From The Age Web site 15/2/02:
Bracks denies Tesna finance offer
By SIMON JOHANSON. .Friday 15 February 2002. . . .The Victorian government has flatly denied reports it offered Solomon Lew and Lindsay Fox's Tesna consortium $90 million to buy Ansett and keep the airline flying.
Speaking on ABC radio this morning, Mr Bracks said an article in The Australian newspaper, claiming the government had offered the cash incentive, was wrong.
"The article is wrong. We are not offering $90 million," Mr Bracks said.
Asked if the government was offering any money at all, Mr Bracks said: "No. I've said consistently, and this is true, that what we will offer is the equivalent of state taxes, payroll taxes forgone for several years."
"It's nothing, nothing at all like $90 million. That is incorrect," he said.
Mr Bracks said while the author of the report, Mark Westfield, was a "credible journalist," the article "erroneous" and The Australian newspaper had not contacted the government to get its side of the story.
"But in this case he (Mr Westfield) erred. He did not corroborate his story,"
[ 15 February 2002: Message edited by: knackered ]</p>