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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 11 Hansard (26 September) . . Page.. 3471 ..

MR WHITECROSS (continuing):

just that - borrowings. Would it really have been so hard to admit that there was a $98m deficit and that she had borrowed to cover it? Mrs Carnell's budget speech was full of talk about employment and jobs. Mrs Carnell desperately attempted to sell this budget as being about jobs, but her own budget papers tell the true story: 1.5 per cent fewer jobs in the next year, and no new jobs till past the year 2000.

Another measure that will hurt Canberrans - one that is quite well disguised in the budget - is the appropriation for ACTION bus services. Since the Carnell Liberal Government came to power, ACTION bus services have been one of the hardest hit by constant cuts. There have been cuts to services of up to 20 per cent in some areas, while fares have increased by 50 per cent. The reduction in services is set to continue as a result of this latest budget. The projected $55m realised from the sale and lease-back of the fleet will not go into providing more services for commuters or reducing ACTION's operating costs. In fact, the $55m will not even go to pay off ACTION's $48m borrowings. The reduction in ACTION's debt will not cover the cost of leasing the buses. Instead, Mrs Carnell will use part of the money to cover her budget blow-out. The result is an additional $1m cut from the operating budget of ACTION and more cuts in services. But where was that admitted by Mrs Carnell? Whilst Mrs Carnell continues to talk of improvements in ACTION services, the budget papers show further deeper cuts. Mrs Carnell is misleading the community over ACTION.

Mrs Carnell has attempted to hide the underlying problems in her budget. The rhetoric about being open and transparent has been proved to be just that - rhetoric. The budget papers produced by the Government do not divulge what is really happening. Look at Budget Paper No. 4. We have a cost of outputs and the performance measures for this year but no basis of comparison, no figures for last year. There is no transparency, no accountability, no honesty. This is a blatant attempt to hide what this Government is doing. Mrs Carnell promised that the change to accrual accounting would ensure that the budget process was more open. Instead, they have used this change to hide what they are doing. Mrs Carnell has failed the test of budget honesty.

The current economic climate requires from the Government commitment, leadership, vision and strategy, none of which are in evidence in Mrs Carnell's budget. Labor would not take an ad hoc approach to budget formulation as this Government has done. Labor would be honest. What is needed is a detailed analysis of ways of fairly sharing the economic burden across the community. Competent financial management is necessary. Labor would not irrationally and artificially prop up budgets. Instead, governments must understand the reasons why an appropriation does not fulfil its expectations and deal with the problems. Just topping up the bottom line is irrational.

Certainty in government decision-making is essential. Labor, by ensuring that policy from year to year is consistent, will give a clear understanding of future directions and restore confidence and investment. Commitment to jobs growth is needed. Labor is about jobs. We would ensure that real job creation projects were pursued responsibly and strategically. We would not cancel $20m in capital works in one year to fund the appropriations blow-out. Labor would ensure the effective utilisation of our highly skilled and educated work force so that everyone in Canberra has the opportunity to participate in all facets of community life.

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