Page 1372 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 12 May 1993
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the only opposition leader in Australia who, on her second sitting day, has been basically described as a goose by the major metropolitan newspaper in her city for this attempt at populism, which they are backtracking on desperately.
Mr Wood: Read it into the record.
MR CONNOLLY: In a radio interview Mr Abraham said:
... you'd create a policy, a Liberal Party policy, going to the next election supporting a city council style of government, or administration in the ACT?
Mrs Carnell replied:
Simply put, yes.
I am sure that later on, when there was a phone-in, Mrs Carnell would have been beaming, because all of the anti-self-government sentiment was stirred up. They were all ringing in saying, "We hate self-government; we did not want it; we do not like self-government; Mrs Carnell is on the right track". So there it was, this grab for populism, and it did stir up an element of support.
What Mrs Carnell and the Liberal Party should realise - Mr Kaine, I think, always did realise it - is that sometimes political leaders have to display a little bit of leadership. Sometimes political leaders have to say things to the people that they do not necessarily like to hear. In relation to policing, every citizen of the ACT, for example, would like to have a police officer permanently stationed at their house, because then their house would be totally free from burglary. Every citizen in the ACT would like that, but they cannot have it. Every citizen in the ACT would like more expenditure on every area of government administration.
Whenever we look at your comments in this place, they are "Spend more, spend more; we do not have enough". Not enough neonatal units was your big issue today and yesterday - spend more, spend more, spend more. Every time we look at revenue - tax less, tax less, tax less. You attacked me for some fees and charges: "There is a terrible fee and charge, a terrible tax; you are raising too much money; you are not spending enough money". It is mindless populism and it will get you in trouble, as it has got you in trouble on this issue.
Responsible politicians on both sides, of both major parties, and the two Independents, have consistently said to the public of Canberra, "We know that you have some problems with the concept of self-government. We know that a lot of you would have preferred it if the good old bountiful Commonwealth had continued to look after this place. We would have liked it too. It is great when the good old voters of Parramatta and Fremantle are prepared to subsidise Canberra". But those times are gone, and political leaders of this party, of your party in the past, the two Independents, have said words to that effect at public meetings around Canberra - I have heard various members say that - when this anti-self-government issue is raised.
The responsible line that political leaders of both parties and the Independents have taken is, "We know that a lot of you did not like self-government, but the Commonwealth imposed it on us. It is never going to take it back. We have to make it work. We have to take responsibility for these difficult issues of health, of education, of policing". You look at the debates on public affairs in this Territory
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