Page 1859 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 30 May 1990
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After all, the ACT education system was designed and resourced by the Commonwealth Government for many years. Dealing with a reduced budget within this infrastructure is impossible without harming the quality of education already established.
The federation clearly put the view - and it put it to Mrs Kelly probably on the same day or thereabouts - that it should be the Commonwealth which is making some effort to contribute to the problems with which the ACT presently finds itself. (Extension of time granted)
Mr Deputy Speaker, I think that the message is pretty clear so far: the ACT needs to take stock; it needs to be decisive; it needs to become master of its own destiny. That means taking a very considered but decisive view on what it must do about money. I am greatly warmed by the acceptance by many in the community of the need for the Government to take action in this area. There has been ample evidence in the meetings that I have attended, and from the people to whom I have spoken, of a need for the Government to take action. People are not content with a "sit back, do nothing, and pray that it will be all right" attitude of the kind that was taken by the previous Labor Government. That is what we are doing, and I think it will pay dividends in the not too distant future.
MR BERRY (3.44): I must say that the Labor Opposition is most concerned about the management team that will be responsible for the administration of this Supply Bill until the need for it expires, so to speak. In the first place, Mr Deputy Speaker, the Treasurer, who is our Chief Minister, will have the responsibility for making decisions in relation to the funds mentioned therein. This is the Treasurer who, when the first Follett budget came before this house, could not understand the proceedings. This is the Treasurer who had to be helped, by way of a 15-minute adjournment, so that he could be held by the hand and shown how the process worked. This is the Treasurer who does not understand the processes of government in relation to budgets. He is the Treasurer who will be responsible for the administration of this Bill. This is also the Treasurer who criticised the Follett budget this morning on ABC radio in relation to the payment of wages for members of this Assembly. He is prepared to tell untruths to the community by saying that the Follett budget was in some way responsible for the decision handed down by the Remuneration Tribunal.
I am concerned that the management of this Bill will be in the hands of this Treasurer. I am also concerned that we have opposite a government tainted with dishonesty, hypocrisy and reprehensible behaviour, and they are the people who will be responsible for managing this Bill. We have opposite a Chief Minister of low moral fibre, who was not able to pull his Ministers into line. Mr Duby escaped.
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