Page 1161 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 3 April 1990
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Our expectation, however, should not have been high. We just need to look at where the Grants Commission states that our revenue effort is lacking. It is on land taxes, payroll tax and stamp duties. The Chief Minister is committed to implementing the Grants Commission findings on expenditure and remains determinedly blind to its findings on the revenue side. And why is that? Because to act on these findings will affect the profits of the Government's business mates. No matter how much the Chief Minister wraps up his package in the discredited supply side economics of Thatcher and Reagan, his bottom line is that he is willing to let the household ratepayer subsidise ACT businesses.
As I said earlier, there is little strategy in the Kaine approach, only ideology. It is clear from reading the statement that the approach which Mr Kaine intends to follow is the true conservative approach. This is an approach which has been rejected by the people of Canberra at election after election, but one which will now be forced upon them by this two-year interim Government.
The Liberal philosophy comes across clearly. It says government is a business and should be run as a business. Privatisation is the theme of this strategy. Privatise education, privatise health and privatise transport.
Mr Speaker, I believe that government is about providing services to the whole community. This Liberal Alliance believes that government is about providing services to those who can afford to pay. What is required is an approach to Territorial budgeting which reflects the needs and aspirations of the community. Territorial government is, after all, primarily about the delivery of services.
As I have said earlier, in order to reflect these needs and aspirations, the budget must be formulated from the grass roots up, not delivered down by edict. It is not my wish to pre-empt such community views. What I do want is to prevent the destruction by this Government of so much that is good about Canberra.
Most fundamentally, I do not believe that Canberrans will accept a reduction in the standard of our education system. I am not saying that our system is perfect. It is clearly not. But changes should not be based solely on economics and accounting. If the budget is the sole determinant of our education system, then we will end up with a second-class system. Other parts of Australia see our quality of education as something to strive for. Why does this Government seem so intent on meeting them half way?
After the completion of last year's budget process, my colleagues and I came to the firm conclusion that further expenditure savings in public education were not possible without an unacceptable reduction in the standard of services provided. I cannot support the cuts which Mr Kaine now contemplates.
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