Page 4265 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 29 November 1994
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Mrs Carnell: And nobody is opposing it, except Helen.
MR LAMONT: The media, the community and this Assembly would be forgiven for understanding, Mrs Carnell, that that is exactly what you are doing, that what you are saying is that you do not establish a base, that you do not establish the catalyst, that you do not put in the infrastructure to secure the businesses the Chief Minister has talked about. I happen to believe that it has been a very conservative estimate as to the attractiveness of the ACT, and in particular this area, for businesses outside the ACT to establish their business operations here. As an example, we are often implored by the Opposition to provide incentive to business. We are often implored by the Opposition to provide the catalyst, the genesis, to get people into the ACT. Do I hear a yes?
Mrs Carnell: Yes.
MR LAMONT: Yes. So far, the two fundamentals of this location have been endorsed by the Opposition, but they have bitched all afternoon about the Government providing that opportunity. Yes, there will be relocation of existing businesses inside the ACT into this area. It is absolutely essential. I hope that the Chamber of Manufactures move from their current location in the MMI building to this site. I believe that that will provide assistance to other businesses and encouragement to MMI members around New South Wales to locate here. I believe that it is appropriate for Anutech to establish a facility here. That is an internal relocation. And why? Because it will encourage business to relocate here.
If you are silly, naive and blinkered enough to believe in the first instance that you do not do that, I can now understand why Mrs Carnell spent two years of her life, prior to entering the Assembly, in convincing the Commonwealth Government to close chemist shops and to close local businesses. That is what she did. As the head of an organisation, she convinced the Commonwealth Government to pursue a line that closed businesses and closed local shopping centres. That is about the attitude that you would expect from her. She does not understand the fundamentals of creating an environment that will attract business to the ACT. On the one hand, she bags and carps about what the Government is trying to do. On the other hand, she turns around and bags us when we do what she suggests we should do. This is the naivety and the stupidity of the views of the Opposition, and it is time they were exposed, not only in this Assembly but also amongst those organisations that the Opposition believes are their natural constituency.
What have we had? Mr De Domenico in the last week has gone off to the Chamber of Manufactures annual general meeting and said, "Well, fine. That is great. What you are proposing looks good. The Chamber of Manufactures supports it". He stands up here and tries to deny that it is in the interests of business to establish this park.
Mr De Domenico: We are supporting it.
MR LAMONT: No, you are not.
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