Page 3230 - Week 10 - Thursday, 16 September 1993
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A lot has been said about employment. The Chief Minister, as long as I have been in this place, has been coming in here, smiling, and saying, "The greatest priority this Government has is jobs". Then, once again, she pauses, smiles again, and says, "Of course, the youth unemployment situation is the thing that is really of great concern". Let me say to the Chief Minister that last week the figures came out and, of course, there was 33.5 per cent youth unemployment - the highest in the country - right here in the ACT. We will have a look at the ACTCOSS figures because maybe we do not want to believe ABS because they are not of our political persuasion; we do not know what they are. At least we know that in ACTCOSS we have people that are closer to this Government than any other organisation. Their figures, ironically, tell me that 19 per cent of the unemployed Australia-wide are between the ages of 15 and 19. In the ACT 21 per cent of the unemployed are between the ages of 15 and 19. That confirms the fact that we have the highest youth unemployment in the country.
What does this budget do for unemployed youth in this Territory? The answer is zilch; not one thing. The Chief Minister came in here and said, "We are spending $1.5m on youth unemployment". What did she spend last year? She spent $1.5m. There is not one cent more this year, in this year's budget, than she spent last year.
Mr Lamont: What absolute nonsense and poppycock!
MR DE DOMENICO: That is the figure from your budget papers, not from anywhere else. How many jobs did it create last year? The answer is none. How many jobs will it create this year? The answer is nil. Let us have a look at what this budget has done to employment, once again on the Government's own figures in the nice little glossy pamphlets that were produced last year and this year. Mr Moore was waving one. Last year it said that in the public works situation there were 3,400 jobs. This year there are 3,000 jobs. So there are 400 fewer jobs automatically. In the teaching situation - no-one can deny this - 90 jobs are to come from the teachers. So there is 490. Ms Follett has set aside $17m, so she says, for voluntary redundancies. She did not use those words, though, because the new "in" words in the ACT are "voluntary separation". Because of voluntary separations, let us estimate 500 jobs. That makes a total of 990 jobs.
So what rubbish it is when the Chief Minister comes in here and says, "This is another budget about jobs". What rubbish it is when they come in here and say, "This is a budget that is going to cut costs". It is salami slicing at its best; it is fudging at its best. The Government is telling the community what it may want to hear from time to time; but the community will not believe this Government, as it did not believe the Federal Government. This budget is a nonsense. The Government continues to sit on its hands and do nothing. It takes the easy way out. It has not accepted the reality of self-government. Let us look at it realistically. In four years' time this community - - -
Mr Lamont: What about Lanyon High School? Do you want to close that too?
MR DE DOMENICO: Lanyon High School is a fantastic idea. This community is looking at $200m worth of debt under this Government. Shame!
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