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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 4 Hansard (30 March) . . Page.. 1186 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

I will note for the record as well the Feel the Power campaign. Who will ever forget the gushing support for the Feel the Power campaign? I must say that the language was similar to the language you were using . I do not how many times I heard Mr Rugendyke say, "I am excited" and "What a proposal!". I would like to note that as well. I would like to note another one, in particular. I refer to the paint job on the aeroplane with the Feel the Power slogan on it. That needs to be noted because it had milestones built into it and we were going to get the money back if certain things did not happen. Of course, it did not reach the milestones and it was too hard to get the money back. It was only a small amount of money in the scheme of things, but it told us a little about the way that this Government manages its business.

Next, I would like to note what the management of Floriade has cost the Territory's economy. Of course, who could forget the futsal slab? Nobody could forget the futsal slab. Again, we all heard language similar to Mr Rugendyke's in relation to the futsal slab and what it was going to deliver to the Territory. Gushing and fulsome support was continually flowing from the Government. And then we had the clandestine Hall/Kinlyside deal, with the confusion between blocks and leases and all of the backroom deals that went on in relation to that. We will always be scarred, regrettably, by the hospital implosion and the significant costs in relation to that are still going on.

I am happy to note the Government's move to this arrangement with this airline. I think that it will bring significant benefits to the ACT and it is to be welcomed on the basis of the evidence that we have now. But you cannot note that without noting the Government's form on all of these other issues and that would drive anybody to a position of caution. You have to be cautious about supporting this Government on anything because its record is pretty poor. Of course, as a legislature we have a responsibility to ensure that the Government is held accountable for its expenditure of the Territory's money. We will have a chance to do that in the future, I have no doubt.

Let me draw attention to another matter which also gives us an idea of the Government's form on job creation and these sorts of deals. Who will forget the Fujitsu proposal? The Fujitsu proposal was going to deliver us 900 jobs. The last time a question was answered in this place there had been 80.

Ms Carnell: And it is now 280.

MR BERRY: Okay, there are 280 instead of 900. There were going to be 900 jobs, and all the gushing and fulsome support that we had at the time was about 900 jobs. We have the same sort of language on every one of these bread and circuses ideas that we have had in the past which have led us into so much difficulty, so why should we not be cautious about these things? We are entitled to be cautious. We are obliged to be cautious as elected members, principally because we have lots of form upon which to base our caution. Yes, I am happy to note what the Government is doing, but I cannot note it without noting all of those failures of the past and our need to be cautious because of past failures. The good that they have done has been overwhelmed by the bad.

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