Page 4542 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 20 November 1991
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QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Premiers Council : Small Business and the Unemployed
MR KAINE: I would like to address a question to the Chief Minister who, as we know, is journeying tomorrow to the Premiers Council. Could she tell us what initiatives, if any, she expects to result from this council, which will ease or mitigate the situation of small business and the unemployed in the ACT?
Mr Berry: With a bit of luck, they will be able to knock off the consumption tax.
MS FOLLETT: I thank Mr Kaine for the question. As members have pointed out by way of interjection, compared with the goods and services tax which is a total disaster for the ACT - - -
Mr Kaine: You can feel it doing you good already.
MS FOLLETT: I can indeed, Mr Kaine; it has cheered me up enormously. Mr Speaker, I am happy to respond to Mr Kaine's very serious question because the meeting that will be taking place in Adelaide will, I think, bring forward some important work and will progress some work which will indeed be of benefit to the Territory.
The general issues which will be discussed in Adelaide can be summarised as microeconomic reform, economic development, the environment, the structure of the federation, urban development, and guns and violence. The Government has been giving consideration to its position in relation to those issues and the potential implications for the ACT community. I am happy to say that we have had some consultations in relation to functional reviews, of which members might be aware, and they have certainly provided us with some good information on the community's needs.
To respond directly to Mr Kaine's question, in the areas of microeconomic reform, Mr Speaker, I expect that there will be some significant progress made - for example, in relation to the mutual recognition of goods and services between jurisdictions. I believe that that will free up small business especially in the ACT. Particularly in regard to the ACT, another matter of importance is our continued active participation in the National Electricity Grid Management Council. I am sure that members are aware that the cost of electricity in the ACT is a major part of both individual budgets and, of course, business budgets. It is very important that as a consumer State we continue to be strongly represented in any negotiations which might affect that cost or the method of delivery.
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