Page 200 - Week 01 - Thursday, 9 April 1992
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statement that we have not heard at least three or four times before in other places or in this chamber. There is nothing at all that is new. Is that the extent of the Labor Government's vision? If it is, I am afraid, Madam Speaker, that it is a pretty poor vision. In fact, as I think my colleague Mr Kaine said, it is no vision at all.
We were told that there was going to be a great build-up with this statement; that there was going to be a great deal of flesh in this statement. We were told that there was going to be a great focus on jobs. Yes, indeed, there is some talk about jobs; but either the statements in here about jobs are not new or the Government is claiming, as Mr Kaine said, the credit for the achievements of others: The casino; the cooperative research centres; the clinical school, and what a turnaround we had on the clinical school; the international freight centre - we have seen the international freight centre trotted out as a great saviour by this Government more times than Dame Nellie Melba had comebacks; and the Gold Creek Homestead.
All those things have been brought forward as great plans to create jobs in the Territory, but they are not new and they do not demonstrate any particular initiative on the part of this Government to see these things happen. It is relatively easy to come along to somebody and say, "I like your idea; have a pat on the head; go off and create some jobs". It is another matter to actually create the environment for job growth. I do not see anything in what this Government has put forward in this statement which will actually do that.
The question of jobs - as I think the Liberal Party has indicated many times before, particularly during the last election campaign - is the critical question facing the Territory at the present time. There is nothing more important than that question of creating jobs. However, this statement touches upon other issues which I think ought to be commented on. I particularly note the fact that this Government is quick to point out that its philosophy of education is different from that of the former Alliance Government - that there will be no schools closing in the life of this Government; that in the life of this Government there will not be any per capita funding, notwithstanding the report that was received a few days ago.
To be fair to the Government, it is perhaps part of a vision to be able to say what you do not stand for - "We do not stand for this and we do not stand for that". But you do require, I would submit, something tangible and concrete in the way of positive action. Perhaps I have missed it in this statement, but I cannot see where it is. I think it is vital to look at a concrete, positive set of steps in the area of education when the problem we face is so absolutely enormous.
According to one report I read the other day, we are something like $24m overfunded, by State standards, in education. We have ruled out school closures; we have ruled out per capita funding; we want to decrease class sizes, I think I heard the Minister say; we want to do some work on improving funding for high schools. We want to do all these things. How do you do them? Where is the Government's plan for actually achieving any of this plethora of motherhood statements? I am afraid, Madam Speaker, that this Government is negligent in keeping this statement free of details, uncontaminated by any substance. It is also negligent in actually creating an impression that things are going to happen when this statement outlines no means whatever for them to actually happen. Where is the vision for education? Health, I hesitate to comment upon.
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