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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 2 Hansard (9 March) . . Page.. 461 ..

MR HARGREAVES (continuing):

Let us go back in time a little to see how well this Treasurer and her assistants have fared in delivering their promises. Let us go back to the promises of 1995. The Liberal Party campaign speech, delivered on 5 February 1995 by Mrs Carnell, promised a new nursing home in Tuggeranong. Well, I do not know where it is. It also promised a halfway house for young people with substance abuse problems.

Debate interrupted.

ADJOURNMENT

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! It being 5.00 pm, I propose the question:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

Mr Smyth: I require the question to be put forthwith without debate.

Question resolved in the negative.

BUDGET PREPARATION PRINCIPLES

Debate resumed.

MR HARGREAVES: Mr Deputy Speaker, given the pioneering stance of the Chief Minister and Health Minister on the drug problem, can you tell me where this halfway house is? She also promised in 1995, and I quote from the speech, "no more secret deals, no more hidden promises". What about that Hall/Kinlyside land fiasco? What about the disastrous and unwanted futsal slab? What about the deal to paint "Feel the Power" on an aeroplane? What about the threat of closing Downer Preschool? What about ripping off the money from the Institute of the Arts? What about free bus rides for school students? What about the automatic extension of all residential and commercial leases at no cost? All of these occurred in the secrecy of the Treasurer's mind.

Let us move right along to the 1998 boulevard. This, members will remember - particularly we new guys - was the dawn of the clever, caring capital. Let us look at this beautiful piece of alliteration. Mrs Carnell defined "clever" as being at the leading edge of change, to harness our city's intellectual, social and financial resources. In its budget submission, the North Canberra Community Council said, "We do not believe that giving people the sack is clever". Just how many ACT public servants have been given redundancies since 1995? I do not describe selling a significant revenue source like ACTEW as harnessing financial resources. I would not describe the rush to off-load public assets as harnessing anything, but rather eliminating our financial resources.

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