Page 1557 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 2 May 1990
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had anything to do with it at all. Because we gave him extra time, my time has been cut.
I am pleased that the police are undertaking a survey of the ACT community on policing and crime. That is important. I commend them for doing that, and I will be interested in the outcome. I have met some ACT Federal Police officers in committee sessions on a number of occasions. I am very impressed with them. I believe we have a good service. It ought to get better. I disagree with Mr Stefaniak who said that the Federal Government will make the proposal about how we are to be policed. I think that is exactly the wrong way to go about it. We are the ones who ought to make the proposal. It is our police force. It is our community. We should take the initiative. The police, I believe, are doing that in some measure by this survey that they are undertaking. That was one of the measures that I wanted to cover when I recently proposed a committee, some action in this parliament, to look at those aspects. It was just one that we were going to look at. It was a means of consultation but, like so many other proposals, it was rejected by this Government.
MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The time for discussion has now expired.
AUDIT (AMENDMENT) BILL 1990
Debate resumed from 26 April 1990, on motion by Mr Kaine:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
MS FOLLETT (4.25): Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Labor Party will not be opposing this Bill. It is a minor mechanical amendment that is required to allow the ACT Government's semi-government borrowing program to proceed and, in particular, it provides legislative support for the registration of ACT Government securities.
However, the Bill raises the issue of the Government's semi-government borrowing program for 1989-90. In late November I was very pleased to hear from the ACT Treasury that it was unlikely then that the full semi-government program, as outlined in my budget, would be required. It had become apparent by then that ACT Electricity and Water would be able to fund its entire capital program internally and would require no borrowing at all.
This would have meant that the total borrowing program in 1989-90 would be reduced to, at most, $24m compared with the budget estimate of $32.5m and the Loan Council's limit last year of $43.3m. Of course, at this stage we do not really know whether we remain in that position. On the occasions that I have questioned the current Treasurer, Mr Kaine, on the issue, he has given what is pretty well his standard response on any issue: "Why should I tell you anything? If I want you to know, I'll tell you
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