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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (14 May) . . Page.. 1381 ..

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Federal Budget

MR WHITECROSS: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, I refer to the Federal budget handed down last night by your colleague Mr Costello, and the dire implications that the budget has for the ACT. I cite a couple of examples. Another 4,000 jobs are to disappear from the Australian Public Service in Canberra, $27m of scheduled capital works projects are not going ahead this financial year and there is to be a fire sale of government assets in Canberra.

Mr Humphries: I would not talk about fire sales if I were you.

MR WHITECROSS: I am sure the words "fire sale" were not there, but that is a leaf taken out of your book. Chief Minister, even though Mr Howard's policies are remarkably similar to your own - - -

Mrs Carnell: I am pleased that you think Peter Costello copied ours.

MR WHITECROSS: He copied or you both read from the same Liberal Party manual on how to govern. Even though his policies are remarkably similar to your own - - -

Mr Humphries: Do you have a question here anywhere?

MR WHITECROSS: Yes. Will you apologise to the Canberra community for having campaigned for John Howard at the last election and advocated a vote for him at the last election, given how bad his last budget and this budget are for Canberra?

MRS CARNELL: I wonder how many times in question time I can be asked, "Will you apologise, Mrs Carnell?". Deary me, can they not ask a question better than that? Can they not ask a question based on fact? Mr Speaker, last time I heard anything about question time or what it was for, question time was to elicit information. Unfortunately, Mr Whitecross does not seek information, but I am very happy to answer the question that I think he asked. In the Federal Government's budget that they brought down last night, there was the National Museum. Mr Whitecross, do you think that is good news for Canberra? Yes or no?

Mr Whitecross: The year after next.

MRS CARNELL: Yes, it is good news for Canberra.

Mr Berry: No, it is bad news.

MRS CARNELL: Is that not good to hear?

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