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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (9 April) . . Page.. 807 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

The next point I want to address is the issue that has come up in debate about Public Service numbers in the ACT. The Liberal Party is always good at throwing around numbers, and they seem to have perpetuated the myth, and it is a myth, about the number of people they argue the Labor Party dismissed from the Australian Public Service. If the Liberal Party deigned to do a bit of homework for once, instead of throwing around rumours, which they are very good at doing, they would find that in the last three years of the Federal Labor Government Public Service numbers in Canberra increased, and they increased by several thousand. We supported the Public Service in Canberra. We supported what it meant to have an impartial, fair and professional public service.

The Australian Labor Party in the ACT has never been afraid of criticising the direction of Federal governments, whether they be Liberal or Labor. I am sure Mr Humphries would know that there was often tension and friction between the previous Federal Labor Government and the Australian Labor Party in the ACT. The Australian Labor Party in the ACT has always taken a very strong position against policies that have affected Canberra. You have only to look at issues such as privatisation. The privatisation and outsourcing of government agencies and departments have led to the loss of jobs and, where that has occurred, the Australian Labor Party has always criticised it. I think it is very clear that the Australian Labor Party has a strong and very fine record when it comes to defending the ACT.

The other point I want to make is in regard to tourism, and this is a point Mrs Littlewood raised. Tourism in the ACT is an industry we all value highly, and we value it highly because it brings jobs to the Territory, it provides jobs for young people, and it assists our economy. It also allows people to get an understanding of what the national capital is about and appreciate the nature of the capital and the unique qualities this city has. Since the election of the Howard Liberal Government we have seen a marked fall - more than marked, a dramatic fall - in the number of people visiting our city. This has occurred for a couple of reasons. You could say that it has occurred because John Howard refuses to live in the national capital - perhaps the only head of government who has refused to do so. You could also say that that has happened because the Federal Minister for Tourism, Mr John Moore, has actively and openly degraded the national capital in front of Tourism Ministers and tourism executives from around Australia - a point I tried to raise in this chamber yesterday.

The attitude of the Federal Liberal Government towards this town is nothing short of disgraceful.

Mr Humphries: It is not a motion about the Federal Liberal Government; it is about the Federal Parliament.

MR CORBELL: The attitude also of the Federal Parliament and the majority of coalition members towards this town has also been a disgrace. I think it is very clear that this MPI needs to send a clear message to the Federal Parliament. We need to say that we are a legislature that can make its own decisions, that we are competent enough, that we have the authority and indeed the obligation on behalf of the people of the Territory to govern in their best interests. In that respect, this MPI is to be welcomed. We as a legislature have that authority.

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