Page 3101 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 15 September 1993
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Budget 1993-94
MS ELLIS: My question is directed to the Minister for Urban Services, and I ask: Does the Minister agree with the claim by Mr Louttit of the Canberra Chamber of Commerce that the budget gives too much attention to the soft soapy issues and the continuation of the welfare state?
MR CONNOLLY: I was quite horrified to see Mr Louttit's comment.
Mr Kaine: "It does not give attention to any issues" would have been a more accurate statement.
MR CONNOLLY: It was an accurate statement, Mr Kaine, was it? You think that was an accurate statement? Mr Louttit, speaking last night on WIN news on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, presumably, said that the budget gives too much attention to the soft soapy issues and the continuation of the welfare state. I wonder which soft soapy issues he would like us to scrap. Would he like us to scrap the much needed men's shelter, which was an initiative in this year's budget? Would he like us to go back on our commitment of over a quarter of a million additional dollars for reporting of child sexual abuse matters? Would he like us to go back on Housing Trust commitments? Would he like us to go back on spending for Canberra's troubled youth through the new procedures at Quamby? Would he like us to go back on some of the initiatives - - -
Mr Berry: He would probably like his job back.
MR CONNOLLY: He might indeed like his job back, Mr Berry. Would he like us to go back on the extension of electricity concessions to some 6,000 people who hold health care cards? Would he like us to go back on the extension into the shoulder months of electricity concessions to the some 19,000 age pensioners and others in Canberra who currently receive them?
The Liberals opposite, I hope, would also condemn Mr Louttit's attack. These people are always out there promising the community everything - spend more, spend more, spend more - on every issue, and then we see the true face of the Liberal Party. We see that the view of social justice of the people in authority in the Chamber of Commerce is that it is just a soft soapy issue; it is welfare state mentality; it is to be condemned. This Government condemns that sort of statement from Mr Louttit, as I am sure would the Independents, and I hope that the Liberals condemn it as well. I challenge you to condemn it.
Employment - Capital Works Program
MR DE DOMENICO: My question without notice is to the Chief Minister. I refer the Chief Minister to her 1992-93 budget leaflet entitled "Protecting Canberra's Future", where she told us that the capital works expenditure for last year, 1992-93, was going to be responsible for 3,400 jobs. Yesterday's similar leaflet says that the public works program is going to be responsible for 3,000 jobs. Does the Chief Minister concede immediately that, without taking into account the public service redundancies, we are 400 jobs worse off this year than we were last year?
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