Page 2099 - Week 07 - Thursday, 16 June 1994
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Mr Westende: I do not have to listen; I can experience it.
MR LAMONT: I was really pleased to be at a function with you recently where you were saying how good business is becoming. I say that that is because you are a good business person. I would also say to you that most good business people in Canberra have been able to flourish under this Government. In fact, with the additional assistance provided in this budget, and the decisions that have been made by this Government, we will have business flourish even better. Mr Westende, $8m has been cut off your electricity bills. That is $8m to the business community.
Mr Westende: Ha, ha! I do not pay $8m.
MR LAMONT: That is what is happening in the business community, Mr Westende. Not everything in the business community revolves around you, although I know that you would like to think that. We have cut $8m from the electricity costs of commercial and industrial consumers of electricity in this Territory. That is one thing. In relation to enhancements and processes to attract business to the Territory through the Canberra region advanced technology manufacturing group, we have provided over $3m for the establishment of an advanced technology manufacturing site at Symonston near Fyshwick. This site is sought by the business community in Canberra. It also has been indicated that it will be attractive to businesses wishing to relocate into the ACT. That is something that business has asked for; that is something that this Government has delivered.
Madam Speaker, we will also be rejuvenating a number of our older shopping centres. I answered in question time in this place a question - I believe that it was from Mr Stevenson - about what we will do with $700,000 which is being put into the older shopping centres to help promote activity and to help ensure that they do not run into a state of decay and decline to the extent that the businesses in those centres suffer and community services diminish. That is something we are doing not only for the business sector but also for the community, Mr Westende. You obviously have not read the budget. I suppose that all your business acumen was occupied while you were up there, toiling away in Mrs Carnell's office over the last three days, to produce these 360 characters on this one-page alternative budget strategy. I presume that that is what has happened. Or, maybe, Mrs Carnell did not come to you for advice about the 360 characters. It is obvious that she did not go to Mr Kaine. That is obvious from this sort of response. Even Mr Kaine would have more substance in an alternative budget strategy than one page with 360 characters on it. This Government, in times of hard economic circumstances around this country, took a careful budgetary approach and it has taken this Territory's financial rating to AAA. That is something that, I believe, all Territorians can be proud of. That is something that we have all participated in, except, obviously, for Mrs Carnell, who has been too busy trying to put together a budget strategy.
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