Page 4634 - Week 16 - Tuesday, 27 November 1990
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developmental projects, which will cover research, developmental, innovative, experimental and pilot programs.
That last category is one of the most important reasons why we have abolished the Community Development Fund. It did not let in innovation; it did not allow smaller service providers to get in.
Mr Duby: All they had was bocce clubs.
MR COLLAERY: I am good at bocce, Mr Duby.
Mr Connolly: He keeps botching things up.
MR COLLAERY: Yes, bocce up. This is an example of an ongoing process not started during the alleged open, consultative Follett Government, but started by the Alliance Government. All we have heard from the Leader of the Opposition tonight is the usual Marxist claptrap that we constantly have to sit and listen to in this chamber. It is political ideology of the most juvenile kind. It is being met, and will be met, with a full and authoritative response by us on this side of the house.
I move on to indicate that prior to self-government the CDF trust account provided a means by which the proportion of funding for community organisations could be decided locally and isolated from the Commonwealth budget scrutiny. Clearly, the CDF arrangement was a device for an absentee Federal landlord who did not want to trouble, perhaps quite properly, a Federal cabinet with the minutiae of whether the Majura Centre or the Monaro folk music group should get funding from the Federal Cabinet. That was an effective proposal at that time.
I believe that the Community Development Fund became ossified. It did not let in those new services. There were certain lucky groups in the process, one would say; and I will say no more. I believe that we have done a proper social thing. We have decided to promote access, equity and innovation. In no way, shape or form can those people sitting opposite us tonight attack us on any comprehensive basis for this decision. We will stand up and be counted in 1992 for having set up a far more accountable process. That is a big challenge in a town where the Labor Party has enjoyed, for many years, a fairly large and often unthinking vote.
We are going to make the community think about these processes. When they next come to vote, you Labor people, Mr Speaker - I address the Labor people opposite; Mr Speaker, I am sure you are not a Labor voter - - -
Mr Kaine: I do not think he is.
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