Page 2356 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 16 September 1992
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Unit within the Tourism Commission, to attract and develop new events for the ACT, to identify gaps in existing tourism infrastructure, and to build the numbers of visitors to the ACT, which will in turn significantly increase employment prospects in the tourism industry, particularly for young people.
We have also put funds towards the further development of Canberra as a centre for regional and national freight distribution and warehousing. We have put funds into investigating the establishment of an ACT centre for training in waste management and into support for the development of an international hotel management school, with the aim of establishing such a school in the ACT to train hotel managers to the highest possible international standards. Furthermore, we will be coordinating and marketing the ACT's training through the cooperation of the public sector and the private sector, in conjunction with the local business community.
I believe that those employment creation opportunities in the budget are worthwhile and are worth noting. I am pleased that Ms Ellis asked that question. I just add that, in keeping with our commitment to social justice, we have also provided growth funds to community organisations in recognition of the additional demands that are being placed on them at the moment, in particular the superannuation levy. These community organisations are labour intensive organisations, so that could be included as an employment initiative.
Those initiatives I have outlined build on the whole range of existing government programs such as those relating, for instance, to Jobline; the venture and development assistance program; the women's employment strategy and the tradeswomen on the move program; and our own revised service recruitment practices. They are all aimed at enabling people to compete more effectively and, particularly within our own service, for young people to compete more effectively for the ASO 1 and 2 positions - the base level positions. Our budget is clearly focused on real jobs and real training. It is a comprehensive and carefully targeted strategy. It comprises both direct funding of job creation and capital works and support for the private sector to promote the growth of local industry.
Police Budget
MR HUMPHRIES: My question is to the Minister responsible for police. I refer him to Budget Paper No. 2, which states that savings of $1m will be achieved in the costs of ACT community policing. I also refer to Budget Paper No. 3, which states that the major means of making these savings will be through streamlining procedures for the appearance of accused persons in court and technological developments in the provision of breath-testing services. There will be savings of $1m out of those two arrangements. Given the fact that the new court procedures are still, on the Minister's own announcement a couple of months ago, being trialled, given the fact that almost a quarter of the financial year is already gone, and given the fact that the Government failed to make its savings target last year and blew the budget by $270,000, will the Minister concede that the $1m target in this area may not be achieved in this financial year?
MR CONNOLLY: I am pleased that the Opposition is at last asking a question about the budget. Mr Humphries accused me of blowing out the budget by some $240,000 last year. As that is from a man who blew out the health budget by $17m, I think it was, I reckon $240,000 is pretty good.
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