Page 176 - Week 01 - Thursday, 9 April 1992
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The Labor Party understands this and we are not afraid to put what we stand for clearly in our policies, as we saw in our recent elections. Paradoxically, the educated conservative who understands the intellectual and historical foundations of conservatism would be forced to accept the truth of my previous remarks. But such creatures are few and far between, if not actually mythical.
Edmund Burke would have no difficulty in grasping the notion that one must strike a balance between markets which deliver prosperity and communities which sustain values. Too many of his modern day followers are ignorant of their historical and intellectual forebears. In consequence, they are to be found wandering aimlessly around the far right ideas supermarket, picking up any little prejudice that captures their eye, in the pursuit of votes, and as a substitute for a coherent political philosophy.
In summing up just let me emphasise that social change is patently necessary in our society. The disadvantaged are not inferior; they have just not had a fair go. Social change is possible, and, more importantly, it is within the power of this Assembly to bring it about. As elected representatives our duty is to seek out and speak for those who most need assistance. I will do my best to ensure that these sections of our community get a hearing and get a tangible improvement to their lot. It is an objective consistent with my life to date. It is an objective we can achieve collectively.
ACTION
Discussion of Matter of Public Importance
MADAM TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Madam Speaker has received a letter from Mr De Domenico proposing that a matter of public importance be submitted to the Assembly for discussion, namely:
The inability of the Government to achieve necessary efficiencies in ACTION, leading to unnecessary industrial disputation and additional costs to the community.
MR DE DOMENICO (3.25): First of all, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, let me congratulate Ms McRae for her inaugural address. I was very moved by it. I did not agree with all she said, but I was very moved by it.
Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I am not very pleased to have to stand up and say that the matter of public importance today is the inability of the Government to achieve necessary efficiencies in ACTION, leading to unnecessary industrial disputation and additional costs to the community, but really pages 1 and 3 in this morning's Canberra Times say it all. They say it all because it proves to me that the ACT Labor Government's performance in industrial relations is definitely shoddy, perhaps shonky, and not the best. It consists of misinformation; it consists of deals with union mates, and shows as much spine as a jellyfish in achieving results in revamping our industrial relations in the ACT.
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