Page 1857 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 19 August 1992
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So what do we have now with this budget? Under a new leader we have an attempt to correct the disaster that has been upon us. This new leader happens also to have been the Treasurer for that time, so he still has to wear some of the flak over these years. Why do we get this budget now? Because the Labor Government is running scared. The people just might decide that they have had enough of Labor and will risk the "frightpack", as they call it. I must say that, for my own money, that is an even greater risk. I will get to that in a short while. Coming back to this budget, the thing that is most significant and the thing that we must remember is that even with all the jobs that it will create - there is no doubt that it will create a number of jobs, and a number of jobs here in the ACT - we still will have in excess of what any reasonable person would see as a reasonable unemployment figure.
Mr Lamont: Not in the ACT.
MR MOORE: In the ACT we will still see an unemployment figure that is far too great.
Mr Lamont: Two per cent.
MR MOORE: Of course, in real terms, most of us would find any unemployment figure too bad. Mr Lamont interjects that the unemployment figure will be 2 per cent.
Mr Lamont: Less than 2 per cent.
MR MOORE: He now says that it will be less than 2 per cent. The sorts of predictions that Mr Lamont is making are the sorts of predictions that were made with the One Nation package. After just a few months they have proved to be very wishful thinking. The chances of having a 2 per cent unemployment rate in the ACT under these policies are very minimal indeed.
Madam Speaker, I have concentrated up to now on the disappointment in terms of unemployment. We do know that some direct methods have been used to attempt to tackle youth unemployment. The Chief Minister announced in the ACT specific measures in an attempt to assist youth employment in the public service here. One of the things that need to be concentrated on more and more is youth unemployment. Thanks to 10 years of Labor government, and before that a few years under the others, our youth have never been sure of getting a job and in fact they live under a terrible threat. When I was at university, in the deep, dark ages, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, we felt very comfortable about working at a medium rate, about getting passes, because we knew that there were jobs available for us.
Mr Connolly: Jump in the car and drive back to the Assembly. There is a job waiting.
MR MOORE: I hear Mr Connolly's interjection. No doubt he is aware that I grew up in South Australia too, under a somewhat benevolent Labor government at that stage. I also can remember back to the days of Playford.
The other part of the budget that I think is most disappointing, not just for Canberrans but for all Australians, is the fact that the Museum of Australia was not included. It was really the last opportunity for us to have a Museum of Australia within a century of Federation. To me that is a great disappointment.
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