Page 2021 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 8 September 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Madam Speaker, I am sure that all members in this Assembly would be aware that the Government accelerated our own capital works program recently to a total of $35m, and that action will support 330 jobs. I think that that was significant action to take at a time when we perceived that the recession was biting in the ACT and there was a need to take action to create employment. I put that in stark contrast to the Liberals' attitude on the Federal budget where there are major capital works projects proposed for the ACT. The Liberals opposed them. They opposed the creation of those thousands of jobs. That is a disgraceful attitude.
I would like to say also that it was the Labor Government, not the Liberals, that went ahead with the casino, and that that casino, which will be opening now in a matter of weeks, will create some 280 jobs in the construction phase and approximately 500 permanent jobs, sustainable jobs, once it is fully operational. In the meantime the interim casino is providing an estimated 350 to 400 jobs. As I say, that will be commencing in a matter of weeks. We have obviously taken action which the Liberals were unwilling or unable to take there as well.
Madam Speaker, I want to run quickly through some of the other initiatives that we have taken in order to support sustainable employment. We have supported the development of ACT cooperative research centres and we have supported the creation of a clinical school in our hospital system, neither of which was done by the Liberals in government and both of which will generate significant employment and significant development in the ACT. A further initiative which I have taken is the venture and development assistance program which provides a range of assistance to young people and to youth organisations to increase their skills and to create jobs. We have increased funding to a number of organisations, such as Jobline and Involve, to assist young people into short-term employment and to meet their skills training needs.
Under the Commonwealth funded Jobskills program we have been able to create 270 positions which are specifically for long-term unemployed people and give them the opportunity to gain skills and to gain work experience. In June of this year the Government approved the establishment of an ACT Jobskills program which provides training and work experience for a further 100 people - again 100 people who have been unemployed over a long term. We have also been able to increase the ACT Government Service traineeships. I have established a high-level task force to ensure that the benefits of national employment and training plans for young Australians are passed on to our ACT young people without delay.
In addition to those sorts of initiatives and in addition to the casino project, the Government is actively pursuing a range of other projects, mostly major private sector projects which will significantly improve employment prospects in the ACT. Those projects include an international air freight centre at Canberra Airport, an enhanced commitment to the tourism industry - notably the establishment of a development unit in our Tourism Commission - telecommunications projects with both Optus and Telecom, and the Gold Creek tourist resort.
Madam Speaker, Mr Kaine specifically referred to what the Government had done for business, and small business in particular, and I would like to touch briefly on some of those matters. We have established the business services centre, which was conveniently overlooked by Mr Kaine but is of real assistance
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .