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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 4 Hansard (16 April) . . Page.. 931 ..

MR DE DOMENICO (continuing):

Mr Speaker, let me tell the chamber what I actually did say and clear up the matter for Ms McRae, Mr Whitecross and everybody else who wants to score political points on the issue - at least for the benefit of Mr Whitecross, in particular. In a speech last week for the launch of the Young Business Club of Canberra, I said:

So what, it's nothing new - there have been job cuts in the Federal Public Service for as long as we can remember.

Mr Speaker, under Labor, for example, Canberra suffered from some of the biggest ever cuts in the Public Service. In the past seven years - in fact, since the start of self-government - Labor has slashed 18,000 jobs in the Commonwealth Public Service. I am absolutely astounded by the hypocrisy of the ACT Labor Opposition in accusing this Government of not caring about the future of the Public Service, when its Federal counterparts so heavily cut jobs and reduced the size of the public sector.

Mr Speaker, while any job cuts in the Public Service are regretted, it does provide an exciting opportunity to stimulate the private sector. In fact, over the last 15 years, the ACT economy has consistently outperformed the economies of all other States and Territories. That means real jobs growth - as Mrs Carnell said, over 2,000 jobs, thousands of jobs under this Government, in comparison to 700 under the other mob over there. We cannot overlook the fact that Canberra is no longer just a Public Service town, with over half of our work force employed in the private sector. This Government is committed to further developing that and to the creation of even more jobs in the private sector.

Mr Speaker, this Government has sought an end to damaging speculation about Public Service job cuts and has asked the Prime Minister to outline just how many positions may go in Canberra. At this stage, we do not know how the cuts will affect Canberra, as most jobs may, in fact, be lost elsewhere in the country. The sooner we know the impact on Canberra, the better. Mr Speaker, this Government is concerned about the future of both ACT and Commonwealth public servants, despite Mr Whitecross's and Ms McRae's grubby political grandstanding. I am also convinced that Canberra has a bright economic future.

MS McRAE: Mr Speaker, through you, I have a supplementary question to Mr De Domenico. Minister, now that you have confirmed that you said, "So what?", would you like to resign, as being totally unfit to be a Minister for Industrial Relations?

MR DE DOMENICO: Mr Speaker, let me answer that supplementary question, because I am delighted to do so. They keep throwing these marshmallows across the floor. They land over there somewhere. What hypocrisy, Ms McRae, once again; what hypocrisy from you lot over there!

Ms McRae: I did not say "So what?".

MR DE DOMENICO: You did nothing. You sat on your hands while your Federal Labor colleagues, over the past seven years, cut 18,000 jobs from the Commonwealth Public Service. We lost the CSIRO to Melbourne. We had job cuts everywhere. For you people to come in here and talk about something that might

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