Page 3612 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 19 October 1993
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MRS CARNELL: I am happy to wait until the committee reports. This is despite the fact that ACTEW, CIT and the now decorporatised ACTTAB all stated strongly that competition and the use of competitive tendering yielded better results. As usual, Mr Berry and his Labor colleagues will not change. They will not let the facts or the advice or the commonsense get in the way of ideology.
Mr De Domenico: Have a look at the health budget.
MRS CARNELL: That is right; absolutely wonderful! There has been no progress in the provision of concessions and fringe benefits for part pensioners and older long-term beneficiaries, although it does seem that the Federal Labor Government again got it wrong and grossly underestimated the cost. I will not quote estimates, but I understand that Ms Follett accepts the fact that the Federal Government underestimated the cost and possibly that the ACT has not recouped the amount of money it has cost us to implement what was a unilateral decision of the Federal Labor Government. Again, we suffer at the hands of Labor.
Equally, though, and in a more positive light, progress to uniform national holidays must be welcomed by all Australians. The absurdity of having a national day that is not necessarily celebrated on the actual day or on a uniform basis must stop immediately. I totally applaud the decision of COAG to stop such stupid situations. I am concerned at Ms Follett's statement that there is no intention of reducing the number of public holidays. I hope that this does not mean that we are going to go to the highest common denominator in public holidays in Australia and end up adopting the number of public holidays of the State with the most. That would definitely be not in the best interests of business in the ACT, and I understand that that is not Ms Follett's intent either.
Progress continues to be slow in reconsidering intergovernmental relations and we continue to have overlap and waste.
Mr Berry: Like what?
MRS CARNELL: This is just a straight quote from the communique, Mr Berry. Access and accountability in government are desirable goals. The duplication and triplication of functions arise because other spheres of government seem not to be able to work together and certainly do not seem to be able to get on with the job. It is essential to define who is responsible for what and to provide the funding or revenue base to support that activity.
Mr Berry: What inane rubbish!
MRS CARNELL: I am interested that Mr Berry said that, because I was going to go on to comment that we have to sort out planning in the ACT. We must never end up with another situation like that on the hospice siting. Once and for all, it is essential that the Federal Government and the ACT Government get planning right. I would have thought that was something Mr Berry would have totally agreed with. Again, it is a situation that must be overcome in the interests of the ACT, and it must be overcome if we are to get the Kingston foreshore development up and running as we all know it should be.
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