Page 3956 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 23 November 1993
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
That is a very sensible statement of fiscal rectitude. Who said it? Mr Kaine? No, although it sounds like something that Mr Kaine may have said. Madam Speaker, that was Mr Moore. That is what Mr Moore said in relation to - - -
Mr De Domenico: A prominent Liberal? He has not joined us yet.
MR CONNOLLY: No, no; I said that prominent Liberals have said these things, but then I said that it was a guessing competition. Who said it? In relation to an amendment moved by Mr Stefaniak to the budget, Mr Moore said, as recorded at page 4957 of Hansard, that it was an extraordinary procedure to try to move an amendment to a budget. He rejected the proposition. He said, in relation to the police budget:
When it comes to a [cut of 2 per cent] it is important that they wear their fair share of the cuts, as is being done right across the ACT budget, in order that we can avoid the problems of the other States in regard to borrowing.
Here he is today saying, "No, no, no; we should spend more on education". What a pathetic little effort! But there is more, Madam Speaker. In attacking Mr Stefaniak who was moving this amendment, grandstanding and saying, "Spend more on police", Mr Moore said this, as recorded at page 4959:
... I think we all feel that it is appropriate for us, whatever our favourite area is, to see that it has an increase in funds, let alone avoiding a cut in funds. Whilst it may be of advantage to Mr Stefaniak to be able to go to his police officer friends, his friends in the union, and say, "I have done my best, but unfortunately it was not carried"; or "Beaut, look at what I was able to carry through the Assembly", it really is not going to achieve anything and it is entirely inappropriate.
That was Mr Moore talking about Mr Stefaniak moving amendments to the budget in relation to a 2 per cent cut in the police budget. Mr Moore had two points. His first point was that every area of the budget must absorb its fair share of cuts. In the words of Mr Moore, "Mr Stefaniak, what a silly fellow you are, posturing in this Assembly so that you can go out and say to your mates, 'Look what I have tried to do to protect you'.".
Madam Speaker, how words can come back to haunt one. Precisely what Mr Moore was accusing Mr Stefaniak of doing then is what he is doing today. He is retreating right away from that basic statement of commonsense that he accepted once, that the Liberal Party accepted once, and that this Labor Party has consistently accepted, both in government and in opposition; that, when you have a substantial reduction in the funding levels available to this Assembly, every program must take its fair share of cuts. Madam Speaker, I am very disappointed that Mr Moore is not present at the moment to hear what he had to say. No doubt he is out posturing in front of the cameras, doing what he accused Mr Stefaniak of doing and saying, "Look, I have done my best, but unfortunately it was not carried", or "Beaut, look at what I was going to carry through the Assembly". As Mr Moore said, "It is entirely inappropriate". It is a foolish, silly piece of posturing.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .