Page 2778 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 14 August 1990
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from across the other side is lots of talk, or as they used to say, Mr Acting Speaker, "We're gunna do this and gunna do that". We have got a bunch of "gunnas" over there. All they were going to do was "gunna do this and gunna do that". This Government takes the initiative and gets on with the business of governing.
ACT Public Works currently maintains regular meetings with a wide range of those interest groups on a one-to-one basis, but such a forum as I have outlined will allow a wide range of issues to be addressed effectively and will allow the Government to receive the views of all sectors in a consultative forum.
Mr Berry: Why do you not try some personal attacks? This is boring.
MR JENSEN: Mr Berry says this is boring. I am sorry, Mr Berry; if you find that this Government taking action is boring, that is unfortunate. All Mr Berry can do is to continue to throw insults at the chamber because he does not have any facts behind his statements. This was clearly evidenced by the discussions and the debate that we have had today.
This forum will provide a mechanism whereby problems being experienced by any sector of the industry can be brought to the attention of the Government quickly. No such opportunity was ever afforded to the unions or industry groups by the Labor Party when it was in government, and I challenge the Labor Opposition to give us this sort of information during the final minutes allowed in this debate.
Mr Acting Speaker, once again we see an attempt by the Opposition to alienate the public service with their claims of incompetence. What its members are really suggesting is that it is the public service that is incompetent in providing its advice to the Minister. That is a shameful act - totally and utterly shameful - and that is all we get from the Opposition. It is an opposition that is bereft of any ability to oppose at all. It has got no standing at all in relation to this. It is quite obvious as we look at the press gallery; the press gallery is completely empty. If members of the press gallery were interested in this sort of matter and they thought that the Opposition was really going to oppose the Government in this area they would be listening with bated breast - breath - to the arguments that are coming across.
Mrs Grassby: Breast - I do not think any of them have got bated breasts, Norman.
MR JENSEN: I make no comment on that, Mrs Grassby, whatsoever. In relation to this matter there has been no loss to the ACT taxpayers through the Government paying out for work that was not actually completed.
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