Page 2837 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 22 November 1989
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about 8,300 of those staff are employed under the Commonwealth Public Service Act. The balance are employed under a variety of Acts and there is no responsibility by the Commonwealth towards that large majority of people.
I would like to point out also, Mr Speaker, that the Government greatly values its public servants. We have heard them denigrated by Mr Kaine during his response on the Appropriation Bill. I do not share his view that public servants, or "bureaucrats", as he calls them, do not deliver the goods - a view twice repeated. I believe that they perform an invaluable task and perform it very well indeed. I certainly value their services and their professionalism. I greatly value the spirit in which they have entered this very difficult time following the achievement of self-government.
I might also point out, Mr Speaker, that in the budget there have been substantial cuts already made across agencies. Unlike this Assembly, the public servants and the public service managers have accepted that there is not a money tree out there, that the funds available are finite, and that where cuts must be made they will be accommodated in a responsible manner. They have responded to the stringent financial circumstances in that responsible manner, and I think that is a very great credit to the public servants and to the public service managers. As I said, I will not be asking for the Commonwealth to take any of them back, let alone $5m worth.
MR MOORE: Well, considering that response, Chief Minister, there are some hard decisions that will have to be made about the $5m. Have you got any notion of how you are going to make extra charges for the $5m?
MR SPEAKER: Order! That was not a supplementary question, Mr Moore.
Petrol
MR KAINE: I would like to address a question to the Chief Minister and Treasurer and ask whether she would give the Assembly a progress report on her discussions with people in the industry of supplying and distributing petrol in Canberra. How are those consultations going in terms of increasing the price of petrol by 3c a litre to bring us into line with New South Wales?
MS FOLLETT: I have not had such discussions, Mr Speaker.
Petrol
MR DUBY: My question is directed to the Minister for Industry, Employment and Education. I think it is directed
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