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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (2 December) . . Page.. 4279 ..

MR SPEAKER: Order! I said I can ask the Chief Minister to withdraw the comment because she will then be able to explain how it happened.

MRS CARNELL: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I already did.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I am pleased to be able to give some more bankruptcy figures for those opposite, because they were interested in this in the last question. The success of our business strategy, I think, is reflected in the data from the Australian Securities Commission on the number of corporate insolvencies and terminations. Over the three months between June and August 1997 the number of insolvencies and terminations in the ACT was 33 per cent lower than in the previous three months, and 44 per cent below the number in the same period in 1996. Over the same period the ACT had 476 new incorporations. Mr Speaker, I was confident that - - -

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, this does not seem to have anything to do with the question Mr Corbell asked. His question was in relation to tourism matters.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MRS CARNELL: You do not think companies are of interest?

MR SPEAKER: Order! The Chief Minister is answering the question. She is developing her answer. I am sure that all will be revealed if you are patient.

Mr Corbell: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Can you advise this side of the house as to what bankruptcy has to do with tourism? How relevant is that to tourism matters? Is the tourism industry going to go bankrupt?

MR SPEAKER: Order! The Chief Minister is answering the question as she sees fit. If you people want to have a talk together, I suggest you go out into the lobby. Otherwise, I will take it as an interjection and deal with it.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, those opposite are making a joke of this house. They are using a quote that they cannot quote back because I did not make it, Mr Speaker. They are wasting an enormous amount of time in this house. I restate what I said on the last question. All reasonable commentators are now making it quite clear that the ACT is out of recession. In the ACT, areas such as retail, motor vehicle sales, even corporate bankruptcies, and growth over the last two quarters, are all looking good, and those opposite simply cannot cope with it. They cannot cope with the fact that things are looking much better for the ACT. I think that is so sad.

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