Page 2110 - Week 07 - Thursday, 16 June 1994
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It is hard to see that, Madam Speaker. If that is the case, I suggest that the product of that work is still hidden in Mrs Carnell's office. The fact is that, when people went up to her office at Mr De Domenico's invitation to get a copy of the strategy, we were refused. In fact, it had to be dragged out of them. They had to be ordered to produce it.
Another problem, Madam Speaker, with Mrs Carnell's alternative strategy is that no-one agrees with her. In fact, the budget which I have produced has generally met with approval. Certainly, Madam Speaker - - -
Mr Kaine: Whose?
Mr Humphries: The president of the Lanyon branch of the ALP, the president of the Ginninderra branch of the ALP.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I think the business community recognise that under this budget they will be able to thrive and prosper. They will certainly enjoy lower rates, lower electricity charges, lower petrol charges, and no new taxes. They recognise a good thing when they see it. Members opposite refer to the community sector as small interest groups. These are people who represent the disabled, the schooling sector, the elderly. They are just minor interest groups to the Liberals, but not to me, and I will try to meet their needs. They generally have been supportive of the budget. Independent commentators likewise have been reasonably supportive of the budget, and I am pleased to see that, Madam Speaker, because, as I say, I put a high priority on being responsible in our financial management.
I thought Mr Moore covered particularly well the alternative strategy that has been put forward. It is nothing more than an exercise in privatisation. We can see, yet again, the Liberal cant emerging. They are totally opposed to anything the public sector does. Anything to do with trade unions is anathema to them because the private sector will do it better and, for that reason, say the Liberals, we must cut $27m off the public transport service and privatise it. Madam Speaker, the upshot of that would be very straightforward. The parts of the transport service which make a profit would go to the private sector. The services to Tuggeranong, the services after hours, the services to some of our smaller areas simply would not occur. Madam Speaker, again the Liberals say that the Government has no role in the provision of services. Under their recipe for ACTION there would certainly be no public transport service for the majority of Canberrans. Mrs Carnell's strategy, so-called, says that people would have a choice. Under her strategy for ACTION they certainly would have a choice - walk or catch a taxi, because there would be no buses, not to mention the thousand jobs that would go, Madam Speaker.
Similarly, in the area of health, what the Liberals are proposing is privatisation. In fact, it is written down as "Private use of health facilities", and the selling off of Jindalee. There is no replacement for Jindalee. Nothing is mentioned here. We hear from them all this rhetoric about people in nursing homes, but what they are proposing to do is sell it.
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