Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 9 Hansard (23 November) . . Page.. 2432 ..

MR DE DOMENICO (continuing):

Ms Follett, could not even do a deal with her colleague Mr Keating. The deal was done within five minutes of Mrs Carnell taking office. We now wait on the committee to tell us what their views are on Kingston foreshore, and we will spend this year, hopefully, $737,000 in the promotion and development of Kingston foreshore.

Mr Wood: On planning?

MR DE DOMENICO: On planning. Mr Wood, I know, is an ex-teacher, so he believes that semantics is the way to argue on budget matters. Mr Wood, it does not work. There is an extra $5m.

Mr Wood also passed over $250,000 for further investigation of the transport options for the Sydney-Canberra corridor. I notice that he has a motion on the notice paper telling the Government that what we ought to be doing is spending some money to make sure that we get something going between Sydney and Canberra. Luckily, Mr Wood, we knew that; I think it is about time you took it off the notice paper, by the way, because something will happen. Once again, something started to happen within two minutes of our taking office. We took action, Mr Wood. We have got to the stage where even the New South Wales Premier, Bob Carr, has said what a wonderful idea it is to get a high speed train going between Sydney and Canberra. Mr Wood, while you sat on your hands for five years, we are starting to do something.

Mr Wood once again completely ignored $850,000 for industry assistance, to provide incentives for businesses seeking to expand and relocate in the ACT - AOFR, Mr Wood, and the potential to create an extra 400 to 500 jobs. That has been done under the Carnell Liberal Government.

Mr Berry: Potential. You always talk about potential, Tony.

MR DE DOMENICO: No, it is not potential, Mr Berry; it is there. It is soon going to be signed, sealed and delivered. Once again, after nine months of a Carnell Liberal Government, things are being done. Mr Wood skipped over the $150,000 for the advanced technology industry to support the industry participation in Gungahlin. He did not say anything about that, but targeted semantics by calling things "routine capital expenditures" and "planning issues". The truth of the matter is, Mr Wood, that this Government this year will spend $5m on promoting Canberra as a business, tourist, cultural and sporting destination - $5m more than your Government ever contemplated spending. That gets me onto employment. The results are there for everyone to see.

Mr Berry: How many extra jobs?

MR DE DOMENICO: Some 6,700 extra jobs, Mr Berry, since March this year, in comparison - - -

Mr Berry: You did not read the paper this morning.

MR DE DOMENICO: No, I do not read the paper, Mr Berry; I concentrate on the statistics that come out of the ABS.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .