Page 3475 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 25 November 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Mr Kaine: Not according to the Auditor-General.
MS FOLLETT: Mr Kaine finds that difficult to accept because, as we know, in his term as Treasurer that recurrent budget was not balanced. It came out with a deficit. Madam Speaker, Mr Kaine and his colleagues also find it difficult to accept the fact that this Government has not increased to any great extent the taxation burden, particularly on business. The reason they find that difficult to accept is that they did. In government and as Treasurer, Mr Kaine did substantially increase the tax burden on business. He finds it a little bit hard to stomach that at the moment. Mr Kaine also finds it difficult to accept, Madam Speaker, that the independent ratings agencies have given the ACT a AA+ rating with a positive outlook. That was the first rating we had ever had, Madam Speaker. It was given while I, not Mr Kaine, was Treasurer, and again he is smarting.
Members opposite, Madam Speaker, in their zeal for the business sector, completely fail to mention what the Government is doing to foster business in the ACT. Mr Kaine, although his remarks were extremely contradictory, said that he did not believe that business was being created in the ACT or stimulated in the ACT. He then went on to mention a few businesses that in fact had started up in the ACT and - - -
Mr Kaine: I mentioned Optus, and it would have come anyway.
Mr De Domenico: He mentioned one, not many.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, in their usual fashion, members opposite have been extremely selective even in the criticisms that they have levelled at the Government. They have given no indication of whether they support or do not support, for instance, the increased funding for the Tourism Commission. We have not heard from any of the Liberals whether they believe that tourism is a valuable industry in the ACT and that that ought to be reflected in the budget. We have not heard from them whether they believe that there are jobs to be created in the tourism industry and related industries, and whether they believe that that would be of value to our community. They left out all of that.
I have not heard from members opposite whether they believe that expanding the capital works program is useful to the ACT economy. I presume that they think it is not, but I happen to think that it is, Madam Speaker, and that it will create many more jobs than would have been the case had this budget not taken that action. Madam Speaker, I believe that as a government we have taken a very responsible approach not just to the ACT's economy but also, of course, to the questions that are facing us in the ACT's budget.
I do rather resent the kinds of comments made particularly by Mr De Domenico and Mr Humphries which indicate to me that we should be taking the same sorts of actions that are being taken in Victoria and/or South Australia. I cannot imagine, Madam Speaker, that they think that the ACT is in the same sort of crisis as those States. It is simply not the case. Madam Speaker, for that reason I believe that drawing comparisons between those two States and the ACT is really, as I said in the beginning, purely symbolic. The ACT economy is quite different and we have not inherited the dreadful problems that those States do have.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .