Page 3036 - Week 10 - Thursday, 15 September 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Privatising ACTION is not the answer. Private ownership is not the issue. The issue is whether we continue to provide the level of service that the community expects, as efficiently as possible. To provide that level of service, we would pay a subsidy to any private operator. Getting rid of a major asset is very short-sighted. Delivering better, more targeted services with no cost increases is the only responsible direction to take. That is what the Government is doing.
The environmental benefits in the new water charging regime are well known and widely acknowledged. We are not charging for water for the fun of it. We are charging for water so that the community understands the costs of providing water to every home, office, workplace and meeting place in the ACT. The community itself is then able to make a judgment about how much water to use. At a time when we are so aware of the drought across much of eastern Australia, the ACT can hold its head up in moving to place a proper value on the water that we are lucky enough to have. Only the Government has the ability to take account of the whole community's interest in managing important resources. It is not just a question of profit or the efficiency of the organisation. Electricity is being provided at about the cheapest rates in the country. This is because we can operate successfully on a commercial basis within the government sector. We do this by cooperation, not confrontation.
MR DE DOMENICO (4.22): As Mr Kaine and, previously, Mrs Carnell have said, there have been versions 1, 2 and 3 of the speech handed out, all saying virtually the same thing, and all of them wrong. What members opposite have been saying is, "If you can provide the same service for a cheaper price, that is bad". Mrs Grassby stood up and said - - -
Mrs Grassby: Are you finished? Time is up. The bell has just gone.
MR DE DOMENICO: No; I have another minute, and that is all that it will take for me to defuse your argument, Mrs Grassby. What Mrs Grassby said was that a benchmarking study, which said that you can save $38m and still provide the same service, is no good. The only thing that Mrs Grassby failed to realise was that it was the Government's own benchmarking study; it was not ours. So, Mrs Grassby, that is point No. 1. What good management is all about is doing things sensibly and doing them better. She talked about what has happened in Victoria, as many members opposite do. In a lot of circumstances, Mr Kennett has done things sensibly, he has done them better, and he has balanced his budget. Let me say one thing: Doing it better is good management. It is also good politics. Come 18 February, the people of the ACT will show you lot that doing things better and sensibly is also good politics.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The time for the discussion has now expired.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .