Page 2779 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 14 August 1990
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In the closing moments of my comments here let me now pick up Mr Berry's suggestion that the Alliance Government is not concerned about the subcontractors. I trust Mr Berry will listen to this because he was saying that the Government is not interested in the welfare of subcontractors. Quite to the contrary, Mr Acting Speaker; the Minister has advised the contractors involved in the Shelley industry that if they are prepared to continue the work that they started under a project management appointed by the Government, the Government will ensure that they are paid directly in cash for the work that they do. Clearly, the Government is committed to ensuring that those contractors that have been affected by this unfortunate incident will be given the opportunity to continue to trade themselves.
One wonders how the Opposition could have guaranteed the viability of Shelleys. The problem is really with the mismanagement of the Federal Government, a federal government that those members opposite claim to have some affiliation with. It is pursuing the high interest rate policies which are causing large and small development and contracting companies around Australia, as well as in the ACT, to get into trouble. Unless there is a change in this policy from the Federal Government more ACT companies will unfortunately fail but it will not be because of any failure on the part of the ACT Government. It will be a failure on the part of the Federal Government which has not grasped the problems of the economy and ensured that honest working people in Australia can work without the inequities of high interest rates.
MR WOOD (4.17): In this debate today we have seen no concern on the part of the Government for the subcontractors who are so severely harmed by the problem we are discussing. I am not going to raise the cases of subcontractors. That has been well done by my colleagues. I want to raise the matter of the complete lack of concern that the Government has towards the people of Canberra. I am sure Minister Duby has come past a spot that I want to raise and that is the intersection of Barry Drive and the access into the Australian National University. That is one of the areas closed down as a result of this stoppage. I have been concerned at the dangerous position that exists - - -
Mr Duby: I think you have got the wrong dispute, Bill. That is the TWU bus-stop. That job you are talking about is done by - - -
MR WOOD: No, this is the turn-off from Barry Drive into the Australian National University where it has been - - -
Mr Duby: It is not by Shelleys, old fellow.
MR WOOD: It may not be Shelleys, but it is one of the problems that you have got.
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