Page 850 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 25 July 1989
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BUDGET 1989-90
Ministerial Statement and Paper
MS FOLLETT (Treasurer), by leave: Today I would like to present an initial statement on the Government's first budget for the Australian Capital Territory. This is an historic occasion for the ACT, being the first ever budget statement to be released by an ACT government. The statement will indicate to the people of the ACT that the Government is more than equal to the difficult task of framing the budget. The statement provides a firm strategy for us to deliver a soundly based, fair ACT budget in September.
Our approach to the budget is based on the development of a sound economic base for the ACT through the implementation of policies firmly grounded on the principles of social justice. Economic development will mean creating more jobs and more fulfilling jobs. By giving impetus to the private sector, and especially small business, we will broaden the range of employment in the ACT and create a more stable future for our community. On the social justice side, our commitment to a fairer and more equitable ACT community is not negotiable.
With the public release of this statement, the Government is honouring its election campaign promise to operate an open and accessible government. The citizens of the ACT, for the first time ever, will have a direct involvement in the process of determining the budget. Mr Speaker, it is very important to the Government that all citizens in the ACT know that their views will be heard and that account will be taken of their opinions. So the Government will now begin a process of consultation on the statement with the community, business groups and the unions.
To facilitate these consultations, the Government will establish a budget consultation committee. Details of the committee will be released soon. Community groups, the private sector and the union movement will be represented. I invite the leaders of the parties represented here in the Assembly also to participate. As well, I would like to invite all those who are not directly represented to provide their views to the committee, either by direct correspondence or to individual members. In this way, the committee will take all points of view into consideration during its deliberations.
The committee will be able to examine the fundamental issues impacting on the ACT budget: the ACT's economic future, the income available to the Government, the constraints imposed by existing expenditure patterns, and the areas of highest priority for additional funding. Then, after considering the implications of the Federal budget in August, we will have a comprehensive budget to present in September to this Assembly and to the citizens of the ACT.
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