Page 2098 - Week 07 - Thursday, 16 June 1994
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What do we have from the other side? Madam Speaker, here on one page is the alternative budget strategy. One page is all it is. It is very simple. It is said that all that we on this side do is nip and tuck. That must have been what happened in Mrs Carnell's office in the last 15 minutes because all we have here is a cut and paste job. She has said, "The rest of it is fine; but over here we will take off this much, and we will put back in this much. Look at this, I am a financial whiz; this is an alternative strategy. Here it is". This person holds herself out as being not only the alternative Chief Minister but also, I presume, the alternative Treasurer. No, that probably is not the case because Mr Kaine would probably be Treasurer. Well, he may not be. He could be, if he gets back. Mr De Domenico may be the alternative Treasurer, but I think he would have a problem in getting over the top of Mr Humphries to get to that job. This document, if it was not so farcical, would be laughable.
Mrs Carnell: It certainly would be if we were willing to give you the computer models.
MR LAMONT: Here it is; this is the reply to the budget, the alternative budget strategy. As Mr De Domenico described something yesterday, this is a load of hyperBOLE - if you will pardon me. I am amazed that you had the audacity to walk in here - - -
Mrs Carnell: I did not table that.
MR LAMONT: I am amazed that you had the audacity to walk in here at 3 o'clock this afternoon and present that sort of garbage, and then suggest to the community - - -
Mrs Carnell: Do you think we are going to give you the computer models?
MR LAMONT: I am sorry; you know that it is garbage, and you did deliberately walk in here to bring in one page.
Mrs Carnell: It all balances.
MR LAMONT: Of course it balances. With the pair of scissors and the gluepot you obviously have in your office, anything could balance. I tell you what; Mr De Domenico is one of the best counters on that side of the house. He turned one vote into five. Mrs Carnell, you should not take lessons like that from Mr De Domenico because you end up like this, with one page. I think there are something like 320 characters in all. It probably did not overtax the extensive resources of the Leader of the Opposition to put 360-odd characters on a piece of paper and suggest that it is the alternative budget strategy. What an absolute joke!
Mrs Carnell, this is what you are required to do in government. You are required to go through programs, as I am about to do, and indicate how you have put together a budget. This is one of the best budgets ever put together. It was acknowledged even by Ian Davis as being one of the best budgets ever put together since self-government in this Territory. Madam Speaker, I have ensured that the Urban Services 1994-95 budget makes a significant contribution to the Government's commitment to foster business confidence and employment growth in the ACT and to improve our environmental quality. I sat here in a state of incredulity when Mr Westende stood up and said, "This Government has done nothing for business". You obviously have not been listening, Mr Westende.
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