Page 3941 - Week 13 - Thursday, 17 October 1991
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ACT Government Service actually increase in size under Mr Kaine's so-called management. What a shame, and what a pity to draw attention to it out of your own mouth, Mr Kaine.
By contrast, in my budget this year we have made a targeted and moderate attempt to reduce public sector expenditure and to ask that all areas of the Government Service live within their budgets. We have given them budgets which enable them to do just that, and to do it in a much more efficient way. We have entered into negotiations on a very modest reduction program, as members know; I have made no secret of that. We are negotiating openly with the trade unions on those matters.
So, the contrast here really is between a targeted and achievable program in relation to reducing the size of the public sector and Mr Kaine's bluster on the matter. That is all it was; it was sheer bluster. He blustered also, of course, on the matter of schools. Mr Kaine it was, and his Minister Mr Humphries, who, when they came into government last year, said that they would close 25 government schools - a quarter of the schools - and that this would save them money. In fact, that was just sheer bluster.
They ended up, of course, thanks to a very energetic and dedicated campaign on the part of the community, not achieving those closures - thank heavens - and managing to close only a tiny number of schools. But, most significantly, they did not save any money at all. It was just sheer rhetoric - these so-called savings of money. What I have managed in this budget is to protect all of those community services, to protect the government schools in particular, and to reopen those which were closed on such an erroneous basis and in such a short-sighted fashion under Mr Kaine's Government.
So, I really believe that Mr Kaine has reaped the whirlwind in bringing forward this matter of public importance today. It is a blunder. Why draw attention to your own failures? Mr Kaine, unfortunately, was not the world's greatest Treasurer; he was certainly not the world's greatest Chief Minister. Had Mr Kaine wanted to make an issue of the budget, he had the opportunity to do so in responding to the budget speech. What we got then, of course, was a lot of rhetoric and no substance. Mr Kaine again took the opportunity today, and what we have had is no rhetoric and no substance either. It was dreadful.
Finally, to talk, as Mr Kaine does, of the failed 1991-92 budget is mystifying to me. The fact is that in all his bluff and bluster Mr Kaine has not referred to the fact that the budget has not yet been passed. He may want at some future date to refer to my failed budget, but I would like it to be given a chance to at least be passed and get
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