Page 1862 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 19 August 1992
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interstate viewers would also want to see Federal public servants working out in the snow rather than in new office buildings. However, as an ACT resident and as a member of this ACT Legislative Assembly, I appreciate that this will give a strong boost to the local construction industry.
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services) (5.12): Madam Speaker, I was not intending to enter this debate, but something that Mr Moore said just cannot go unanswered. Mr Moore was referring, I think, to some recent TV shows on the United States and some figures on the way the national cake is being cut in America. Over the last decade it has slewed dramatically in favour of the wealthy and against the interests of the disadvantaged. He said that the same thing has been happening in Australia. The simple fact, Madam Speaker, is that that is not the case.
In Budget Paper No. 1 published last night, at page 284, section 3, there is a chart which shows Commonwealth budget outlays as a proportion of total budget outlays over the years from 1982 to 1992. That shows that for the human services areas - that is, education, health, social security and welfare - the share has increased from 43.1 per cent of total government outlays in 1982-83, the year of the last Liberal budget, to 56.3 per cent in the current budget. That, in anyone's language, Madam Speaker, is a dramatic shift in national resources in favour of the community services and human services area. It represents a movement significantly against the tide in the United States and Britain. The clear result of that shift in the United States and Britain, which one sees if one visits those countries, you do not see here. That is because this Labor Government has significantly altered the way that the national cake is cut in favour of those less well off, not against their interests.
MR BERRY (Minister for Health, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (5.14): Madam Speaker, I have to say that this is the first opportunity that I have had to speak in front of such an intelligent Opposition. The Opposition members, shamefully, have left the chamber as a result of their refusal to face the music in relation to the Federal Government's budget. There are many positive effects on employment and social reforms contained in the 1992-93 budget. This debate has shown to all of the people of Canberra that the Liberals are not prepared to face the music when such a positive budget has been announced by the Federal Government, a budget which will bring good things to the people of the ACT. It might not make them very happy politically, but they have to face the music. It interests me, Madam Speaker, that the Liberals have gone on strike. Right now, under their proposed "frightpack", they would be sacked by the employer. Interestingly enough, once they had been sacked they would have no recourse to a union to argue their case, and they would not get their jobs back. They might reflect on that as they skulk up in their rooms, wondering what to do next in relation to this matter.
I would like now to turn to what Mr Moore said. Mr Moore has taken on the mantle of Opposition Leader with great gusto. He gave the impression for a moment that there might be signs of a party forming; but I have to say that, whilst he might heap scorn upon the Federal Government, he was not able to do it in the way that one would expect from somebody who had the backing of a party which could plan all of the sorts of things that he could put forward. Perhaps Mr Moore is suffering some withdrawal symptoms, having lost at some time in the past the benefits of having behind him a party that may have been great.
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