Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (24 June) . . Page.. 2029 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

That sums up in a nutshell the Labor Party's approach.

Mrs Carnell: He is wrong.

MR CORBELL: The Chief Minister says that Access Economics is wrong. I am glad she has put that on the record. I know that this comment embarrasses the Government. It comes from a quite reputable firm - a firm, I agree, that the Labor Party has not always agreed with in the past but on this point does agree with. We do so quite strongly. What it indicates is that the business incentive scheme is not providing us with the sort of economic development base that this city needs.

As has been only recently highlighted in a report that was brought down by Mr Hird from the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Tourism on that committee's investigation of the situation in Christchurch, international experience has demonstrated that providing financial incentives, free grants of land and other services such as that actually creates bidding wars and results in attracting businesses that may not have the long-term interests of the area at heart and may not complement the local business and industry in an appropriate way.

They are two very clear indications of the fundamental difference between this party and the Liberal Party. We accept that Canberra has a great future because of the assets we already have here - our people, our skilled work force, our residential environment, our natural environment and all the cultural, economic and social opportunities bequeathed to us by the people who built this city. The point we want to make in this debate is that the business incentive scheme is not operating in the appropriate manner.

I would like to emphasise that a bit more by looking at the way in which the Government has been running the business incentive scheme. The first point I would make is that the Government has been very reluctant in providing information on what sort of assistance it is giving to businesses coming to the ACT. Indeed, requests by the Opposition for information on grants and other assistance provided to businesses applying for assistance under the business incentive scheme have met with the blank wall of commercial-in-confidence. That is not much of a surprise at all from this Government, because this Government seems to be willing to use the term "commercial-in-confidence" for a broad range of things.

I think it is unreasonable that this Assembly cannot scrutinise the expenditure of Territory funds because it is hidden behind the veil of commercial-in-confidence. That, I believe, is completely inappropriate. There are, of course, some grounds for the use of commercial-in-confidence, but not once an agreement has been made with the Government, the funds have been provided and it is an ongoing arrangement. That is a completely inappropriate use of the commercial-in-confidence process. Therefore, I think this is another very legitimate concern and criticism we have of the operation of the business incentive scheme.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .