Page 1302 - Week 05 - Thursday, 25 June 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
saying. We do not want Medicare just for the disadvantaged. We want universal health cover - Medicare in its entirety. We are therefore very conscious of the financial burden the current system is imposing upon the ACT, as Ms Follett mentioned in her speech. The Liberal Party supports measures which would inject private capital into the system and thus help alleviate this burden. It is no exaggeration to say that the Labor Party does not. In fact, all the Labor Party here seems to be able to come up with is a call to the Commonwealth for more money. That sort of bleating will not get us far. I think it would be very much better for the ACT Minister to push a more sophisticated position at Health Ministers conferences, a position that would involve encouraging the injection of revenue by encouraging private health insurance.
Health spending represents some 25 per cent of our budget. Therefore, in any overall health strategy the health portfolio must be closely scrutinised. Health is a difficult area to manage, and there is currently an absence of long-term planning. Mr Berry and Ms Follett must together rectify this. We must not rule out of order particular ways to get around these budget problems. We should not dismiss contracting out or the possibility of increased private provision. The private sector is a resource ready and waiting to be used. Let us use it.
MS SZUTY (3.24): Madam Speaker, in considering the budget strategy I feel that it is important to look ahead at the Canberra we want to see in the next three years, and then to look at the resources available to meet those expectations. One of the most important goals for the ACT is to create an egalitarian community where all residents have the equal rights and equal access to services that they need to maintain a high-quality standard of living. We have the advantage in Canberra of being a relatively small and geographically well-defined population where there is the opportunity to extend to all citizens an equal level of services.
As a starting point, my approach to a budget strategy would be to look at planning processes, determining likely growth and the capacity of future land development and community infrastructure to meet that growth. This means an assessment of the structural assets we possess, such as community services, educational facilities, government-owned buildings, and transport and utilities infrastructure, and their capacity to meet the expected increases. Only then can we judge the need for expansion in these areas. In this process it is important to make sure that the main strength of the ACT - its planning procedures - is retained. There is no substitute for the strategic planning that has been the hallmark of the national capital to date. Without this strategic planning it would be easy for Canberra to become lopsided in its infrastructure, with growth occurring without a proper framework.
This brings me to a matter of some importance in the future development of an egalitarian society. As Tuggeranong nears capacity, the Government needs to commit itself to the future greenfields development of Gungahlin and to accept as a matter of importance the community infrastructure provision that will be necessary to sustain the growing population. The Government's claims in relation to what has been provided for the population of Tuggeranong in the way of community services and infrastructure would lead the public to expect a similar level of commitment to Gungahlin. There also needs to be a commitment to strategic planning, proper community consultation and a recognition of Canberra's best assets and qualities, which will ensure that our city continues to grow and develop in a planned and sustainable manner.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .