Page 3225 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 21 September 1994
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Madam Speaker, that compares very favourably with the average for the States and the Northern Territory, which has in fact increased from $5,240 to $5,460 per person over the same period. I think this is a remarkable result, one which I am certainly very proud of. It is a sign of responsible financial management, and it is all the more remarkable when you consider the massive reductions in Commonwealth funding that the Territory has had to manage over that period. In fact, the general purpose recurrent funding - that is, the general budget support which we have discretion to spend - has been reduced by almost half, in real per capita terms, since self-government. So, that really is a dramatic reduction. Despite those reductions, we have managed, as a government, to expand and to introduce new community services, new employment programs, new environmental protection programs and so on.
I think that stands in stark contrast to the approach that is taken by conservative governments - and I include the Government which was headed by Mr Kaine - where they do make at times irresponsible but always quite contradictory claims about their budget management and at the same time have a slash and burn approach to the public sector, which we have just had demonstrated. Madam Speaker, I particularly want to say that the ACT's budgetary outcome position is infinitely preferable to that which we have recently seen New South Wales buy into by virtue of an election budget which has in fact added enormously to the debt of the people of New South Wales. That has not been the approach of this Government. Our approach has been to reduce debt and, as I have just shown, we have been extremely successful in doing that.
Corporatisation and Privatisation
MR DE DOMENICO: Madam Speaker, my question is also to the Chief Minister. I refer the Chief Minister to today's demonstration outside the Canberra Theatre where 100 or so left wing unionists and John Langmore - - -
Mr Berry: And Wayne Berry.
MR DE DOMENICO: And Wayne Berry - protested against the Federal Labor Government's plans to corporatise and/or privatise certain government areas. Chief Minister, as a delegate to the forthcoming ALP National Conference, will you be agreeing with the left wing unionists and John Langmore and voting against privatisation and/or corporatisation?
Mr Connolly: Madam Speaker, on a point of order: I would have to say that the Chief Minister's responsibilities are vast. It is in order to ask her about her ministerial responsibilities, but it is not appropriate to ask a member of the ministry about their role as a delegate to a party conference.
MADAM SPEAKER: That is quite correct. The question is out of order.
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