Page 3029 - Week 10 - Thursday, 16 August 1990
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vitriolic attack on the Government; and then she walks out. She does it day after day. She does not want to hear the response. All she wants to do is to pour out her feelings, usually unpleasant, on the floor of the house and then leave.
As to the performance of the Government, Mr Speaker, I find Mr Berry's comments bizarre and almost quixotic. He constantly repeats, as though by repetition somebody will begin to believe him, the assertion that the Government is attempting to destroy something. The fact is quite to the contrary. This Government, very systematically and with method and forethought and reason, is going about dealing with the problems confronting this Territory. Despite Ms Follett's comments, she produced a budget last year which in no way attacked the problem that was then just around the corner. It was almost as though the problem was not there; it was going somehow to go away. This Government has had to deal with it. It is dealing with it and it is not dealing with it without a great deal of thought. The general proposition that we as members of the Government are setting about to destroy something without any thought as to its cost to the community, its social cost, its economic cost, is absolute nonsense. We have spent a great deal of time trying to address this problem to find solutions. Some of them are short-term solutions and some of them will take five years to put into effect.
We are not only worried about this year's budget - this is the easy one. Next year's budget is going to be the tough one. After that I predict that it will become easier to deal with the problems that we have inherited from the Commonwealth. But we cannot sit and do nothing. There are problems that have to be addressed and this Government is attempting to do that. I do not accept the proposition put forward by the Opposition that the members on this side of the house are unfeeling, they have no concept of social justice and they are incompetent. These are the allegations that are constantly being put forward by the Opposition, on the basis that if you say it often enough people will listen and believe it. None of these things are true.
I have a child at school. I have had three other children during my lifetime who have gone through the education system. It cannot be said that I do not understand the problems of parents with children at school.
Mr Connolly: Private school or public school?
MR KAINE: I am talking about a public school. You can make jokes about Mr Humphries having no children, but he is only one of the 10 members of the Government. I think people need to stop and think occasionally and get rid of the misrepresentations, get rid of the distortions, get rid of the untruths and get down to the fact that I believe that this Government is doing the best it can and it is doing a good job.
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