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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 6 Hansard (17 June) . . Page.. 1622 ..

MR HIRD (continuing):

This Government came into office in difficult economic times and set a three-year budget to unscramble the financial mess that the Territory had been left in by the previous Labor Government. We tore up the Bankcard that the Follett Government was operating on. On top of that, we had to share the cost of repairing the financial mess that Labor's Federal colleagues had left Australia in - an exercise that is being repeated now in New South Wales by the Carr Labor Government. This is the same New South Wales Government that is holding up a project that is vital to the ACT's economy. We have just had the experience of the rescue helicopter service being stalled by the failure of the New South Wales Government to come to grips with it, putting its head in the sand. Mr Speaker, I know that those on the other side of the house will attempt to lay the blame at the feet of our Government; but let me remind the house that final agreement was announced by the Carnell Government, and definitely by the Minister responsible, back in November last year, as you will recall. We could talk about the very fast train. That is a project which will have significant financial importance not only for the ACT's economy but also for the other 300,000 people that live in the surrounding area, within the region.

Mr Speaker, the Carnell Government is making an effort to fix the ACT's overall financial position, and it is doing something about re-establishing a stable economy with programs like the Canberra Business Development Fund and the Kingston Foreshore Development Authority, by vigorously pursuing the high speed rail project and the airport upgrading to international status, and by establishing the Canberra Tourism and Events Corporation. These are all measures that this Government has undertaken to address the Territory's financial problems that it inherited 21/2 years ago. The residents of Canberra can rest assured, Mr Speaker, that the Carnell Government will not be taking up Labor's call for the implementation of an anti-jobs, anti-growth bed tax after the next election, as has been signalled by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Whitecross, and the ACT Labor Party. Mr Speaker, I commend the report to the house.

MS TUCKER (12.10): Let me begin with a general comment. I support Ms McRae's concerns that the estimates process was difficult this year because of the timeframe. I feel that it is an important part of our processes here, and I am not happy with the way it is rushed. I also support concerns about the difficulties in comparing the outputs. I am hoping that that will become less of an issue as this system is used in future years. Many answers to questions were still being returned very late. The answer to a significant question on Landcare expenditure was received by our office only at 4.00 pm yesterday, after the report had been finalised.

The significant changes to the budget that have taken place over the past few years have meant that a reassessment of how the estimates process works is quite appropriate. I am happy to support some kind of a review of how the estimates process should work in light of the administrative changes, accrual accounting and so on. Quite significant changes have occurred. I look forward to that review and I hope that we will be able to come up with constructive suggestions from that. The performance targets, and indeed the whole purchaser-provider model, are issues that have come under scrutiny again in the estimates process. Once again, I think the Government has been shown to be full of rhetoric. A lot of the important detail is still missing. I am especially amused by the whole-of-government approach that we keep hearing about, which appears consistently to mean that the financial managers run everything. They run the whole of government.

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