Page 1019 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 March 1991
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The Government must undertake concrete action to assist our economy at a time of recession. It must act for the sake of Canberra's young people who are out looking for jobs; and it must act for the sake of the Canberra small businesses that are facing bankruptcy. In conclusion, I would say that, as far as the Government goes, it is action and not rhetoric that is required.
MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Health, Education and the Arts) (8.27): We in this place have become used to the Opposition's approach on these matters, and tonight is no exception. That approach, of course, is to sling mud and to make accusations - accusations which cannot and do not stand up to the cold hard light of day but which obviously gain some currency through repetition. Many of the things Ms Follett has said tonight have been said many times before and, of course, she will continue to say them into the coming months, particularly leading up to the next ACT election. The mere fact that she repeats them endlessly, vigorously and with the support of her colleagues does not make them true, and that is the case for almost everything that she has said tonight.
I am happy to go through some of the things she has said and indicate what I believe the situation to be. But it is not accidental that these comments come in the debate on this forward estimates report, because it seems to me that there is encouragement in this document. There is a clear sign that the ACT has the capacity to deliver real change in the economic outlook for the ACT. In particular, inasmuch as it reflects the present Government's policies, it certainly indicates that we have the capacity to reduce expenditure in a range of areas without affecting the quality of services that are offered by the Government.
Ms Follett skirted this issue. She does not particularly have a good record on this issue. For that reason I am not surprised that she skirted it; but nobody can ignore the vital role that responsible economic management will play in the coming years, particularly with the end of that period of special Commonwealth funding. In particular, nobody can ignore the capacity of any government to control public expenditure and, indeed, reduce it as we find ourselves with a smaller financial base than we have enjoyed in the past.
That is an essential question. It is all about reducing public expenditure. I think these forward estimates indicate that it can be done - with the right policies. I say again to the Opposition, as I have said many times before, that when they come up to this place or to the public of the ACT - I do not mind which - and tell us what they are going to do about the public expenditure problem, then I will sit up and listen; but so far I have not heard a thing.
Ms Follett: We will form a government.
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