Page 2066 - Week 07 - Thursday, 17 June 1993
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three years to all of a sudden think about is going to take him any shorter time, for heaven's sake? We know that it has nothing to do with the issue that he raised, that is, the industry training levy, because, as Mr Berry would or should know, currently some of that money that is being collected right now is going straight into the industry training levy anyway. He does not need to put a levy on building permits in order to affect that.
I would like to comment on Mr Berry's remark about a lack of trust. Mr Berry did not tell us where that lack of trust is. We know that it is not with the union movement, because he panders to it every time, as he has this time; so it must be that he has a lack of trust in the building industry. That is a bit concerning, because Mr Berry from time to time has some very good things to say about the building industry. In his presentation speech for this Bill, for example, Mr Berry said:
This is a positive and timely move by the Government to reduce the costs to industry of employing young people and is a practical demonstration of the Follett Government's commitment to address the problem of youth unemployment ...
When it serves Mr Berry he says, "What a wonderful industry this is; we are going to reduce costs". That was in May this year in his presentation speech. Today he says that there is a lack of trust. You cannot have it both ways. Quite obviously, what you are doing today in rejecting this amendment is what you have been told to do by your trade union bosses, Mr Berry. The industry knows all about that. That is exactly what you will do. You have been advised by someone not elected to this Assembly that this is what they want you to do, and you, as always, will follow and do what you are told in that regard. Your comment about wanting to make it easier for this industry to employ young people is humbug. If you really want to do that you have an opportunity now, when your legislation is before this Assembly, to go a little step further. When you bring legislation into this Assembly you should bring it in holus-bolus. You should do your research and your homework properly. If you had wanted to, you have had all the ammunition and all the support to do what my amendment attempts to do today. You cannot wait any longer if you are really going to be fair dinkum about reducing the costs to industry.
The other question I want to ask is this: What are you going to do with all these surplus funds that are in this long service leave fund? Will you give this Assembly and the people in the ACT and the people who have contributed to this fund an assurance that if you ever come to reducing the levy you will bring it back to the time when it should have been reduced - - -
Mr Berry: It is not ours.
MR DE DOMENICO: Hold on; I have not finished yet. Will you give it back to the people who paid the levy or will you put it into Consolidated Revenue? As you will recall, Mr Berry, the NRMA earlier this week did exactly that. It collected an amount over what it thought it needed to pay claims and returned premiums to the policyholders here in the ACT and elsewhere. Quite obviously, you will give an undertaking that you are going to do something before the end of the year. There is a lack of trust between you and the building industry, and there is a lack of trust between this Opposition and you because you have had three years to do it. But you can do it right now by supporting this amendment.
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