Page 2030 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 5 June 1990
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people opposite in trying to protect ACT assets, where do they stand? It is an abysmal record. Where was the voice from the people opposite when they were in government on issues like the Gowrie Hostel? It is up to this Government to take on your big business mates who are going to flog it off to the Abeles of this world and try to retain those assets for the community.
Mr Jensen: Yes, rip-off merchants, like they did to Belconnen Mall.
MR DUBY: Exactly. Much is made of the PRB and the review of assets. I would say that it would have been irresponsible of us not to have undertaken those sorts of reviews. The Labor Government when it was in power in this place lived in the dark. It did not know what the facts were. The actions of Labor members in the last six months indicate that they have now gone down with the mushrooms.
There have been complaints from previous speakers about us attacking education. I would like to reiterate that we are not attacking education. We are ensuring that the people of the ACT receive the best possible education system available. Under the previous maladministration we were subjected to from those opposite, there would have been an inevitable downgrading and all those things that would have followed from the horrendous economic situation they were leading us into. Mr Berry had the gall to mention the Royal Canberra Hospital, which was a shambles under his stewardship and an absolute disgrace.
The Government's aspirations relate to the need to address practical concerns. Unlike our Labor predecessors, we do not seem to respond to elements of big business or big unions. We are in tune with the needs of the broad community, the average family and the small business.
MR CONNOLLY (4.38): Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise this afternoon to support this matter of public importance relating to the fundamental attacks on the fabric of Canberra society by the actions of the Alliance Government. In this debate I will be referring again, as did my two predecessors, to the attacks of this Government on the ACT education system because we believe that is fundamental to the fabric of society in the ACT.
Mr Collaery, in his response, suggested that he hoped to hear a more philosophical approach from Opposition members on what they meant by the "fabric of society". Well, we have consistently explained to members opposite how central education is to the fabric of this society and I will endeavour once more for slow learners to repeat it this afternoon. But, before doing that, I refer to the points raised in defence of this Government, because essentially it was running through a list of items that have been put on the agenda and developed by my colleagues on this side of the house. Most of those proud initiatives on housing and on urban services that were referred to by both Mr
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