Page 2477 - Week 07 - Monday, 15 August 2022
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There are even processes for disagreement set out in the Parliamentary and Governing Agreement and in the Cabinet Handbook. I was amused by Ms Lee offering her interpretation of the parliamentary agreement. I reckon I understand better how it works than she does, having been one of the authors.
It is expected that two parties governing will not always agree on everything, and a parliamentary agreement accommodates that. The two parties do expect to maintain their own identity and voice. Despite the differences, the two governing parties also have shared policy goals. We have been cooperating well. We have advanced many important policy areas, as I set out in my recent budget speech: issues like climate change, housing and justice reinvestment. We are stable, progressive, government serving the people of Canberra.
Just less than two years ago the community voted in very strong numbers for the government we have today, having seen the multiparty government in operation for many years. The government still functions well, and I would say that this invigorating dynamic makes it a much better government than a majority government might be.
As I outlined in my budget speech, there are many ideas being progressed by the government—progressive nation-leading ideas—that are Greens policies and Greens election promises. We are proud and we are helping to implement these in a thoughtful and sensible way.
I would very surprised if Ms Lee is reflecting community sentiment in any way at all with this motion. Is the community really out there saying, “Oh, the Greens opposed funding for the horse racing industry. That must mean the entire government should be dismantled, they cannot govern, and Ms Lee should be installed as Chief Minister immediately”? I do not hear anyone saying that.
Mr Barr: Well, there are about six people who think that, and perhaps not even all of them!
MR RATTENBURY: Fair point, Chief Minister. But no-one wants or expects the government to dissolve just because the two parties disagree on a singular issue. It has happened plenty of times before, and it will probably happen again in the future. The community continues to benefit from having a stable government, but also a government that challenges each other with policy ideas, with debates and sometimes with disagreements. The government works in a way that is much more thoughtful and flexible seemingly than the Liberal Party can comprehend.
The Greens are voting against the budget funding for the racing industry. The Liberal Party can join us to amend the budget if they wish. Over five years, we could instead invest some of that money into housing and homelessness, climate change or many other important areas of priority. The Greens will support the remainder of the budget, however. It advances several significant environmental and social policies that are very important for our community: issues like the transition of fossil fuel gas; the transition to zero emission vehicles; record investment in homelessness; significant investments in affordable housing, health and justice reinvestment.
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