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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (24 May) . . Page.. 1661 ..
Mr Kaine: The insurance levy would be one.
MR HUMPHRIES: Indeed it is, Mr Kaine-spot on, absolutely correct. I know that it is a shocking and somewhat scandalous thing to have a government that would attempt to please the community by bringing forward initiatives in its budget that are designed to ensure that the community's needs and desires are being met. But I am just curious to know with respect to Mr Quinlan's comments which of the initiatives we brought forward for additional spending in this budget are cynical and/or patronising. What exactly is it in the budget that Mr Quinlan would not have a Labor government touch with a barge pole? What is it that he would consider to be inappropriate for a government to be doing in our community? I look forward to the answer to that question during the budget debate.
I have to say that, with that exception, generally speaking other comments have been rather more positive. I note Mr Battersby, the President of the ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Associations, has said:
We welcome the increase in teachers' salaries and there are a lot of other welcome initiatives in this Budget.
I have a quote from Mr Osborne, who is not at present in the chamber. I will quote him anyway; he cannot interject. He said:
The overall turnaround in the five years since I've been here is worthy of praise ...
It was a disaster when I came in 1995, and to think [after] five years we're now in surplus ...
Mr Kaine: That is right. It was a disaster when he came here.
MR HUMPHRIES: That was not what he meant, Mr Kaine. He said:
... and to think [after] five years we're now in surplus ... I think Kate Carnell deserves a pat on the back.
She does not get many of those in this place, Mr Speaker, so she is entitled to revel in them.
The Director of the Council of Social Service of the ACT had this to say:
There's some good initiatives for families and schools ... but I also encourage the government to remember there are many people at risk who aren't accessing schools.
A reasonable comment to make, and that of course is why the social capital initiatives deal with many issues outside of the ACT schools. The Canberra Times editorial today said:
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