Page 3476 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 25 November 1992
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Madam Speaker, I would like to say, in looking at the question of business in the ACT, that there are a couple of actions that the Government has been undertaking which I believe will add to our budget initiatives and will further stimulate business in the ACT and foster the development of business. I have the Economic Priorities Committee of the ACT developing a business development strategy for the ACT. They are currently working on that project. I very much look forward to seeing their conclusions on the matter. The Economic Priorities Committee, Madam Speaker, is a body that comprises business, union and community representatives who, in consultation, in a spirit very much to their credit, get together and work on these issues and advise me of their conclusions.
I am looking forward to their business development strategy and I am also looking forward to their consideration, which they have under way, of business regulation in the ACT. This matter has been before successive governments here and, I have to say, very little progress has been made other than by way of the Mutual Recognition Act which we passed in this Assembly a little earlier. At a local level, on business regulation, I do not think we have made much progress. I do not think Mr Kaine made any progress. I would be very interested to know what it is that EPACT believes ought to be done about that business regulation environment.
Madam Speaker, I do not know whether the Liberal Party got a job lot on the speeches, but they were very similar. I really do not think that they offered us anything new at all, other than, as I said, sheer symbolism and a reiteration of their high-blown ideology. Moving this amendment was, I think, a fairly childish exercise.
Madam Speaker, Ms Szuty took the opportunity to respond to the Government's response to her Estimates Committee report, and I accept that, as chair, she has the prerogative of having the last word. I will certainly be looking more closely at her comments, Madam Speaker, to see which issues we need to take up again as a result of her addressing the issues again. Overall I think that I have made it quite clear. I thought the Estimates Committee report was, in general terms, a fair comment. I regard the work of the Estimates Committee as extremely important to the accountability exercise and the accountability of due processes of government, and so I welcome the thoroughness of her report. I did not agree with every recommendation, although I did agree with the majority of them. We can perhaps continue the debate on those recommendations which were not agreed, to see whether there is another way of addressing what appears to be disagreement.
Madam Speaker, to wrap up the debate on the ACT budget, it has been the Government's intention and our stated intention to adopt a very responsible attitude to budgeting for the ACT. In many ways we have had events forced upon us, particularly the continued reduction in Commonwealth funding - events which are, of course, largely beyond our control. In looking at the need to
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