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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 5 Hansard (15 May) . . Page.. 1258 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

It is not enough for Mr De Domenico and the Chief Minister to say, "Let us be optimistic". It is not enough to say those words. We have to see a demonstration that you will back up your words with some action. It is no good trying to talk it up alone. This Territory Government has embarked on a program of damping down the public works program. It wants to stall that program - - -

Mr Moore: Losing 300 or more jobs.

MR WOOD: At least, Mr Moore. I think it is more than that. It wants to damp down that program. It wants to reduce the number of its own public servants. At the same time the Federal Government is announcing, or is about to announce, drastic reductions in the work force in Canberra, as elsewhere. This Government now has to take up the challenge that the Howard Government has put upon it and actually do some work. It has to review its own policies and immediately, I believe, but certainly in the next budget, announce an expanded public works program - a public works program that will show to this community that the ACT Government does have the optimism and the confidence that it is always talking about. It is a role of government to lead, and this Government is simply not doing that. All this Government can do is talk, and it can do no more than that, so it has to review those policies. It has to see that the bureaucracy, our important public servants, are not drastically slashed, as Howard is doing to his public servants.

More than that, I have called on the Government to expand its public works program. Mr Osborne was talking yesterday about the impact of the stalling of the public works program. Let us get that back on track. Let us see that the public works program as outlined in last year's budget is fully committed, that every dollar in that budget is actually spent and does not go into a black hole in the health budget.

Mr De Domenico: We agree.

MR WOOD: Well, let us see that it is done. Let us accelerate something. Stop sitting on your hands. Get out there and do something, and see that that money is spent. As well as accelerating that program, it has to be expanded, preferably now. Put plans in place now to expand it; but, if not, certainly in this year's budget let us see that that program is expanded so that the community out there, that you claim to represent and that you are always talking to, or talking down to, can see that you have a measure of confidence and you are not using mere words.

Mr De Domenico: You will support Kingston foreshore redevelopment?

MR WOOD: That is a good question.

Mr De Domenico: Will you? I am asking you. Will you?

MR WOOD: I will answer you specifically. I would spend that amount of money on gainful projects that are not going to finish up as a white elephant.

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