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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (28 June) . . Page.. 2181 ..
MS CARNELL
(continuing):Because our policy area is working so well, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, we will have one, and guess what? I believe we will be the only government in Australia that will end up with a consolidated approach to this area, a really important area. Everywhere else they are going to end up with health, agriculture and everybody else doing separate things. That is the reason why other governments have not managed to come down with a position in this area. What is happening is that we are having a coordinated policy approach. The policy area is getting together with groups from right across government to determine and to coordinate a whole of government policy area.
I make the point, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, that this is not unique. Every single Premier's Department and Chief Minister's Department, as well as the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, has a policy area. We were the only ones that did not, and, as Mr Moore said, there were times when it showed. There were times when having lots of different policy areas made it very difficult to get consistent whole of government approaches in important areas like healthy cities. That is an area that does require a consolidated and concerted approach right across government.
The important thing about the policy area, that I have to say is doing an absolutely stunning job, is that it is not new expenditure. It is money that has been brought from the various policy areas that were in the various departments. The departments themselves had these areas. They have now been brought together in a central policy area, something that is very common in governments, to do what we believe is a significantly better job.
I think all of my cabinet colleagues would agree that the cabinet process this year, by being able to have a consolidated approach to a number of things such as social capital, has made our policy direction a whole heap better and more focused on where it should have been, and that is on the consumer, the client. I think that is really what any policy area is about.
Similarly, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, it would have been extraordinarily difficult to put together a report such as the State of the Territory Report if it was not done centrally. I accept that those opposite would not put together such a thing as the State of the Territory Report. They would attempt to keep it all under wraps and not make how we are doing in social areas, particularly, so transparent. I believe really strongly that the policy area has already proven its worth. I know my cabinet colleagues support that approach.
One of the first things that Mr Quinlan said is that somehow I had abrogated my role as Treasurer. No, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, I delegated it. That is exactly what leaders do. In fact, it is what Mr Stanhope did. Why is Mr Quinlan the shadow Treasurer? Because Mr Stanhope delegated the position. Again, that is what you do.
Mr Quinlan
: He didn't drop it like a hot rock though, did he?MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER
: Order! The shadow Treasurer.MS CARNELL
: It's all right. He just cannot cope with the truth. That is the problem. I am very pleased with the direction that my department has taken over the last 12 months and the plans that they have for the next 12 months. They have done a great
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