Page 1454 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 1 May 1990
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time off it by climbing to his feet. The ladder to government does not come out of diversionary tactics and the types of issues that have been raised in this budget strategy response. I welcome the muscular energy that Mr Berry has forced upon me this evening in sitting down and standing up, but the fact is that it shows their very defensiveness. They are not willing to hear us fully on this floor. They do not understand that their ideological perception is wrong. My role in this debate tonight is to point out your ideological responses. They are hopelessly out-of-date in terms of a response to the budget. All they know is knocking. They do not know anything about proposing programs. They had no useful programs to put to us and they still do not have any.
MR WOOD (8.46): Mr Collaery is not the Treasurer, nor is he the Treasurer's assistant. That was quite evident in the speech that he made, wherein he made no defence of the Treasurer's statement but merely attacked what Rosemary Follett and two other members in this chamber said in reply to the statement. I was not fussed when he brought into the debate elements of frivolity. I suggest that tomorrow we might all benefit, Mr Collaery most of all, if we take the time to read his speech. He will see just how little was contained therein.
In passing, I might mention that I have been hearing for 35 or so years this story about a tired, old Labor Party that is out of touch. You know, it really has been coming up for a long, long time.
Mr Speaker, in his statement on page 2, the Chief Minister pointed to four clear goals of his Government in relation to budget strategy. The first of those was to promote the development of the private sector. Further on he amplified that by saying that he wanted to encourage the right environment for businesses, both large and small. I agree with that. They are statements I endorse. But in nearly five months this has not been happening. I have seen no evidence of it and, what is most important, the business community in this town, the private sector in this town, has not got that message. Indeed, it has the opposite message. The private sector in this town is rapidly moving from a situation of doubt about this Government into one of despondency and soon of despair.
Mr Kaine: I do not know who you were listening to, Bill.
MR WOOD: I am listening to people, believe me.
Mr Kaine: Well, I talk to them every day - - -
MR WOOD: I am talking as I move around.
Mr Kaine: I do not get that message, I can assure you.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
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