Page 3037 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 5 December 1989
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device they can think up and that businesses will cooperate by simply handing over the money. What a bestial alliance between unnatural bedfellows it would be for this group to join forces with the traditional conservatives who think that it works the other way, with government handing over the reins to the private sector.
What this Government, along with the many successful Labor governments around the country, has done is to develop an approach to industry development which selectively channels investment and job creation into areas which provide the maximum net benefit to the community. We do not do this with threats or punitive legislation. We sit down with the private sector and with the unions and community groups and find areas of common interest. Quality developments which serve the needs of the community and which enhance and complement the unique role of this city do not materialise out of thin air. We have developed mechanisms - the Civic Square redevelopment is a classic example - which provide both the people of Canberra and the private sector developers with a net return on their investment.
Whatever the results of today's debate, I am proud of what we have achieved. Despite overall restraint in public spending, we have boosted key areas of my portfolio which will produce tangible returns for the community. One of my first acts as Minister was to establish a consultative mechanism with the tourism industry through the establishment of the Tourism Industry Advisory Committee. We also injected an additional $1m into the Tourist Bureau's promotional program. This additional funding has already paid off handsomely for the ACT in the form of increased visitor numbers and longer stays, despite the national downturn in the industry and the crippling effects of the pilots' walkout. Quick action by this Government in redirecting promotional efforts to markets within driving distance of Canberra has meant that Canberra went against the national trend of tourism industry recessions.
Our approach to tourism has been both innovative and effective. It is creating jobs for young people and providing ACT citizens with new leisure opportunities. The ACT is winning national and international awards and accolades for its excellence in tourism marketing. We have opened a new bureau office in Melbourne and established an Australian first with our multicultural tourism strategy.
Similarly, in other areas of industry development, we have taken quick and effective action to position the ACT as a site for investment and new business. We have established new and innovative assistance arrangements for businesses expanding in and relocating to the ACT. An additional $350,000 was provided in our first budget to spur the establishment of new industry. We have successfully attracted Revlon - the international market leaders in cosmetics - to establish a new home in Canberra.
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