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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 12 Hansard (12 November) . . Page.. 4030 ..

MRS LITTLEWOOD (continuing):

I have not heard one remark from the other side that has even acknowledged the Government's initiatives. Ms Reilly's contribution has been her obsession with Kick Start. Ms Reilly has put out 10 press releases bagging the initiative at every turn. Absolutely pathetic! So it goes on - National Museum, VFT, international airport. They are all very exciting and important projects for Canberra, but have they received support from those opposite? Of course not. They have been bagged in one way or another. Even Mr Wood is starting to whinge. He does not want to see a resort developed on the northern end of Lake Tuggeranong. Even at this early stage he cans it. Why not look at the proposal? Why just cast it aside? What about the jobs that it would create? Never mind; just be negative. It is a lot easier than coming up with ideas.

This Labor Opposition is a disgrace. It has no vision, it has no ideas, it demonstrates no initiative, and it certainly lacks leadership, although there have been many leaders. It chooses to be totally negative. It contributes little value to the operation of this Assembly and even to the development of the city for the people of Canberra. What policies does it have for job creation or business development? Absolutely none, Mr Speaker. It really is very sad, because the people of Canberra deserve better. The Labor Opposition really is a disgrace and I hope the people of Canberra see it for what it is.

MS McRAE (3.35): According to Mrs Carnell's polls, we are a shoo-in. I would love to see these polls of hers. They are a little bit different from the ones we have been seeing. Mrs Littlewood, you just might have to put up with us in government next year.

Mr Hird: I will look after you out at Belconnen; no worries, Roberta.

MS McRAE: It is Mrs Littlewood who needs looking after, Mr Hird. I will not be patronising and say that you might view the world a little differently when you have been in the Assembly a bit longer, Mrs Littlewood; but I think it is important to put on record some views on what opposition is about and why we are all here.

Firstly, let us take it in the broader context of the world that we all live in. The overwhelming impression of negativity is, of course, built up by the media, and necessarily so, because that is the job of the media. They build on conflict, they build on difference, they build on challenging opinions and they look for the differences in opinions, not the sameness. I would challenge Mrs Littlewood to find any story anywhere that has included a positive comment which has been made. It is not in the nature of the world that we live in for the media to do that. The media overwhelmingly look for differences in opinions, variations in opinions and the reasons why whatever is being said is wrong. That is fine. I have no problem with that. I think that that is indicative of the world. Politics plays into that world and has to acknowledge that world and feed it, and we all do.

I have contended many a time that parliamentary conflict has been heightened since the televising of the Federal Parliament. Nothing feeds good media better than a sharp question time. Since the televising of question time began, that is what we have seen the greatest concentration on. Many a time television was used very effectively to portray Mr Keating as the monster that he could become in question time, and it is now used very effectively to portray Mr Howard as the monster he does become in question time.

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