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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 1 Hansard (22 February) . . Page.. 209 ..

Mr Berry: When you went to Brazil did you find a higher youth unemployment rate?

Mr De Domenico: Mr Speaker, I again remind you of standing order 39.

Mr Hird: Try standing order 61.

MR SPEAKER: The interjection is out of order; it is also irrelevant. Continue, Chief Minister.

MRS CARNELL: If the participation rate had remained at the same level as it was in March 1995, the unemployment rate in January 1996 would have been 4.7 per cent, Mr Speaker, and I think that really says it all. What has happened is that more people are in the job market force. The participation rate has gone up to an all-time high because people believe that there are jobs out there, Mr Speaker. People believe, quite definitely, that they can get a job, and 5,300 of them have actually done that.

Ms Follett commented about retail turnover. Actually, retail turnover in the ACT increased by 0.3 per cent in the December quarter. Only Western Australia recorded an increase in the rate of real growth in retail turnover during the quarter. That does tend to fly in the face of Ms Follett's own comments. We have a situation where the key indicators of activity in our tourism industry point to solid activity in the year to the December quarter 1995 compared with the previous year.

Mr Wood: Whose data is that?

MR SPEAKER: Order! I did not hear that comment, Chief Minister. Would you mind repeating it?

MRS CARNELL: If those opposite do not believe that our tourism industry and our building industry are important to us, then they are absolutely wrong. Compared to the previous year hotels, motels and guesthouses recorded a 5.2 per cent increase in takings and a 5.1 per cent increase in the number of guest arrivals. We do not think this is good enough. We do not believe that the current situation in the ACT is good enough. That is the reason, Mr Speaker, why we believe - and we put our money where our mouths are - that we have to encourage more businesses to this city. We have to encourage people to employ in Canberra.

Ms McRae: That is what you told Mr Howard, too. We heard that.

MR SPEAKER: Order! What was that again, Chief Minister?

MRS CARNELL: If we have extra employment in Canberra we will have extra money, we will increase the retail turnover, and the list goes on; but, if you do nothing, as the previous Government did - it did absolutely nothing - sit on your hands, do not make a decision, allow union bosses to dictate where you are going in this city, you end up with an economy that comes to a screaming halt and with no money in the bank. That is what we inherited. We inherited a situation where waiting lists had increased more than 21/2 times, from 1,789 in June 1991 to 4,569 in February 1995.

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