Page 2016 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 8 September 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR KAINE (Leader of the Opposition) (3.26): Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is rather interesting that it took us four attempts to get this matter of public importance on the agenda, and we succeeded only when we used the Labor Party's new approach to matters of public importance.
Mr Lamont: At least you can learn.
MR KAINE: We have learned very well.
Mr Lamont: You stopped poor Dennis putting one in.
MR KAINE: And we have stopped Mr Moore and Ms Szuty, and that was your intention.
Mr Lamont: They did not put one in.
MR KAINE: No, not today. Anyway, Madam Speaker, the matter is finally up for debate - the social agenda of the Follett Labor Government. Madam Speaker, the problem is that after some months of the Labor Government there is no evidence of any kind of strategy - social or economic or any other kind.
We in the Opposition are at a loss as to what the Government is about, and we know that a lot of people out in the electorate are at a loss to understand what the Government is about. They did not tell anybody during the election what their agenda was. That was very clever, very clever indeed, because if people had known what they really intended to do they would not have voted for them. Ms Follett brought down a so-called budget strategy recently. That did not tell us anything either. So we are all now waiting with bated breath for the budget next week to find out what they are going to do this year as opposed to what they did last year and what they might do next year.
I repeat, Mr Deputy Speaker, that the community has no idea what this Government intends to do over the next two to 2 years. Indeed, I do not think they know what they intend to do. I do know, for example, that the Chief Minister said in her 1991-92 budget policy program that she was going to promote the social and economic development of the region. I have not seen much evidence of that.
She was going to develop an excellent ACT Government Service. Surprisingly, the Government Service does not look any different today from what it did 18 months ago. If there is any difference, I do not perceive it. According to the newspapers, there are 540 fewer people in the Health Department, and that was not stated anywhere in their budget papers either. I would like to see the figures to demonstrate that that is true.
They said that they were going to promote social and economic development through partnership between government, business and the regional community. I have not seen any evidence of that. They were going to create a healthy, safe working environment. We know that they are whacking on some OH and S legislation that is going to be a further blow to small business in this town. I suppose that is progress if you put it in Labor Party terminology.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .