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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 4 Hansard (8 May) . . Page.. 1144 ..

Mr Humphries: What are they afraid of?

MRS CARNELL: I cannot imagine. The change of government federally last year did usher in a period of great uncertainty for Canberra. Massive reductions in Commonwealth spending during 1996 represented an economic shock the like of which Canberra had never experienced before. I do not think anyone would doubt that. My Government recognised very quickly that this was the greatest challenge that Canberra had ever faced, and we moved just as quickly to formulate a response. That response involved making job growth, investment and private sector expansion the central focus of Government policy. Jobs have been the central theme of the last two ACT Government budgets and were the key element of the ACT strategic plan we released last year which was not really accepted by this Assembly. Mr Speaker, I make no apology for focusing squarely on jobs, because that is undeniably the issue that is uppermost in the minds of Canberrans.

What has been the result of two budgets focusing on jobs and over 12 months of focusing on business and jobs? I am delighted to report to the Assembly today that there is now unambiguous evidence that the labour market in the ACT is strengthening after the dramatic jobs shedding that occurred during 1996. Official job statistics released today show the following: The ACT trend unemployment rate is down from 7.2 per cent in March to 6.8 per cent in April, lower than in any other State and lower than when we took government in March 1995; the total number of unemployed is down by 500, to 11,600, which is 100 fewer than when we took government; total employment was up by 1,500 in April, to 157,900; the teenage unemployment rate has dropped from 43.6 per cent to 31 per cent; and, added to all of that, the participation rate is up from 71.8 per cent to 72.2 per cent. Quite simply, we are now seeing the benefits of the job strategy that this Government put in place almost 12 months ago. We are out there marketing Canberra, attracting new businesses and new jobs to the ACT.

Mr Speaker, we have now seen five consecutive months of job growth in Canberra. Since November 1996, shortly after we brought down our 1996-97 budget predicting job growth of 2,700 - I have to say, a much maligned 2,700 - total employment in the ACT has increased by 5,600, not 2,700; the unemployment rate has dropped from 8.5 per cent to 6.8 per cent; and the total number of unemployed has dropped by 2,600. We are certainly not out of the woods yet. The Federal budget next week could have a major impact on our local economy, and clearly the Commonwealth still envisage further downsizing in the Commonwealth public sector. However, members can be assured that this Government will continue to focus on job creation and expansion of the private sector here in Canberra, but we will not forget our public sector either. The budget that I brought down earlier this week created a number of new jobs in the public sector, as well as having a package of $4.5m for job creation and business incentives in the ACT. We are in no way resting on our laurels. Mr Speaker, it will be as those opposite said earlier when they said that this budget was more of the same for the ACT. I would like to thank them, because if, in a budget that is more of the same, to quote Mr Whitecross, we can achieve that sort of reduction in the unemployment rate and we can achieve 5,600 new jobs or 2,600 fewer unemployed, I think more of the same is exactly what Canberra needs.

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