Page 2774 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 14 August 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Mr Duby: Name them.
MR BERRY: I mean, he does not even know himself; he just said, "Name them" - that is how stupid he is. There were 46 contracts from the ACT Government valued at many millions of dollars. Of course, the company's management is not the Government's responsibility. It was overgeared and it got itself into bother and went to the wall. What is the problem for the people of Canberra is that this Government knew that it was heading in that direction. And I suggest, Mr Acting Speaker, that it knew that the company was inextricably locked into that position well before it went into receivership, and this Government, on the evidence that has been provided to us, continued to give contracts to that company knowing full well that the company was going to the wall and it was going to take with it small contractors and their workers.
This Government opposite has no concern for working people in the ACT. It has demonstrated that in the past. I see Mr Collaery smiling there because he knows that I am just about to mention his disregard for workers, and particularly for workers in the construction industry. I will repeat this over and over again. He described them as "sheep who grunt". That would have to be the most disgraceful conduct for a Minister in a government - the most disgraceful conduct that we could ever experience.
Mr Duby: That's b-a-a-d! Na-a-sty!
MR BERRY: There we have the Minister for Finance echoing his sentiments. This Government took power, took the reins, but could not cop the responsibility. The Minister for Finance, the stupid Minister for Finance, only ever had one policy and that was no self-government. Then he got his second policy - snouts in the trough. I am sure that the people who take the time to examine this debate need to hear all of these issues, because they will thereafter know about the incompetence of the Minister.
No wonder they are twitchy, Mr Acting Speaker, because they are indeed guilty of a crime which has caused a great deal of stress for - - -
Mr Humphries: Oh, has it? I am sorry to hear that, Wayne.
MR BERRY: I can see that Mr Humphries is not caused any concern by stress on working people and subcontractors. This, of course, is a government that says that it has some interest in private enterprise. I say it has got no interest in any enterprise, except its own, and its own individual Ministers. They are the only interests that are being looked after by this Government. It is a government which cares not for propriety in the awarding of contracts. It knew this company was in trouble; it knew that it was not financially viable; and even though it knew that it was not financially viable, it still continued to give
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .