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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (29 June) . . Page.. 2365 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

I am amazed that people are considering throwing out this budget. If you do not like the government, throw the government out. Be honest about it. This budget should be passed because it is the first budget in the territory's history that creates a surplus. It creates money for superannuation, it creates record spending in areas like education and health, and it increases law an order spending by $10 million. It has a wealth of initiatives. It introduces, for the first time, some excellent initiatives in the area of social capital.

The budget is also the culmination of a fairly revolutionary approach in terms of the draft budget. It puts money aside for superannuation. Out of these highlights we will continue to have surplus budgets so we can fund some of the things we need to do to assist the people of the Australian Capital Territory. After so many years, we finally have a surplus budget. That people are thinking of voting against it here defies description. The mind boggles, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker. This budget is worthy of great support. The proposed expenditure in part 15 is certainly worthy of support because it is crucially important for our young Canberrans who are our future.

Proposed expenditure agreed to.

Proposed expenditure-Total appropriated to departments, $1,156,762,000 (net cost of outputs), $181,157,000 (capital injection), and $304,906,000 (payments on behalf of the territory), totalling $1,642,825,000.

MR HUMPHRIES (Treasurer, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Community Safety) (12.20 am): Amendment No 5, which has been circulated in my name, is a further amendment to effect the separate appropriation for ACT Workcover. I move:

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question now is that the proposed new expenditure, as amended, be agreed to.

A division having been called and the bells being rung-

Mr Berry: Scratch that one. We can do one later.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Are you seeking leave to withdraw the request for a division?

Mr Berry: Yes.

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