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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 1 Hansard (28 April) . . Page.. 27 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

Instead, they have given us insecurity and division within our community. More and more we are realising where the Liberal philosophy is taking us. Remember that it is a philosophy which the Canberra Liberals share.

Increasingly, we are getting health on the basis of wealth. There is a worrying trend away from affordable health care and towards a two-tier health structure of priority care for those who can afford it and six to 10 hours in casualty for everyone else. Education is following a similar path, with merit being determined less by achievement in learning and more by what your parents are earning. We are also seeing confrontation replacing consultation in the workplace. Reform delivered at the end of a dog leash is pitting employer against worker and is bringing us industrial chaos, not industry productivity. The Liberals' philosophical commitment to the sale of public assets is giving us privatisation at any price and at any cost. In the case of ACTEW, it may very well be, "Steal the power". These are all critical issues which will confront us during the life of this Assembly. How we deal with them will determine whether we see confidence restored to the ACT community.

Labor's priority in this Assembly is to develop a policy agenda which responds to community needs and which offers the community security and opportunity. The primary focus of our policies will be to maximise the quality of life for all Canberrans. This can be achieved only through economic and social initiatives which are directed at restoring a sense of community within the ACT. Labor recognises that the future prosperity of the ACT depends on the ability to secure a growing economy which provides all people with the opportunity to participate fully in community life. We believe that the priorities for achieving Canberra's economic security are to maintain an efficient, effective and professional Public Service in which job security is not threatened by political agendas; to diversify the economic base of the ACT through a partnership between industry and government involving strategic industry planning and targeted industry assistance; to establish new and improved links within our region in order to gain acceptance of Canberra as the hub of the region; and to ensure that efforts to support existing local businesses do not fall short because of an overemphasis on attracting new businesses to Canberra.

Job creation and job security remain the biggest economic challenges for the ACT. The Government's performance will be measured largely on its ability to achieve both. For people without jobs, the Government's emphasis must be on creating new opportunities for jobs growth as well as improved programs for developing the skills and qualifications needed to secure jobs. For people with jobs, the Government must ensure that the economic decisions they take put people first and do not put jobs at risk. Labor is committed to the expansion of Canberra's technology and tourism industries because those industries are particularly well suited to our region and offer considerable potential for jobs growth. The Chief Minister has promised us a new silicon valley, and Labor will be here for the people of Canberra to see that she delivers on her commitments.

Smart industries, of course, require smart people, and that is why education is a priority for Labor. A strong public education system is a fundamental pillar upon which our community is built. We must secure the foundation of our children's future by ensuring that our schools are well resourced and our teachers are well remunerated.

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