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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 2 Hansard (11 March) . . Page.. 589 ..

MS CARNELL

Mr Berry can't find anything wrong with them", I thought that that really said it all. It is fascinating that not even Mr Berry can find anything wrong with the employment figures. It shows a real win for this Government.

Mr Speaker, estimates of how many staff were retrenched by the coalition Federal Government in its first term vary between 7,000 and 9,000 over a very short period of time. I can confirm that there are more jobs in this city now, even after this massive reduction in our work force occurred. So, even with between 7,000 and 9,000 jobs lost from the Commonwealth, there are more jobs in Canberra now. Perhaps the best way of answering Mr Hird's supplementary is to advise the Assembly that between February 1997 and last month the number of jobs in Canberra has actually increased by 4,600 - that is right, Mr Speaker; an increase of 4,600 jobs, even with the downsizing of the Commonwealth Government. Mr Speaker, the great news is that two-thirds of these are full-time jobs.

MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, I would just like to observe that the benchmark which the Government is striving for was that established by the Alliance Government in 1990-91.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Kaine, ask a question of somebody.

MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. I refer to an answer that she gave to a question, which I think was from Mr Quinlan, back on 18 February, in connection with the sales operation at the Bruce Stadium. In her answer she said:

The stadium's sales team operates on a commission basis - that is, no sale, no commission. It is quite simple. I think I made the point yesterday ... no sale, no commission.

Chief Minister, is it not a fact that, in addition to the commission which this organisation receives, it also has received a very substantial up-front payment, and can you tell us how much that up-front payment was?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I will have to take that on notice. I have no idea.

Members interjected.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Kaine has a supplementary question, I am sure.

MR KAINE: Perhaps the Chief Minister will come back with the answer to confirm that it is of the order of $2m. My supplementary question, Mr Speaker, is: Given that the Chief Minister made the point that there was no commission if there was no sale, can the Chief Minister tell us how much commission has actually been paid to this organisation for its efforts in marketing the stadium, and can she confirm whether the commission payments, if any, include commission for two sales to those great private sector enterprises, ACTEW and Totalcare?

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