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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 7 Hansard (21 June) . . Page.. 2372 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

And let's look at the lottery. Let's look at the six years of reform, and let's look at who opposed every single initiative and every single budget that this government put forward: those opposite. The lottery, the spending spree, the piles of money lying around were created by this government, opposed by those opposite. It was consistently opposed by those opposite in the way that they blocked or attempted to block those things that we wished to do, and the way that they have consistently talked down the economy and the progress of the ACT.

So the bleating from Mr Hargreaves does not gel. Mr Hargreaves, I think, made one point about the look of the city, and he noted that there was extra money for Streetsmart. There is extra money for Streetsmart, because we have the finances of the ACT in a position where we can spend money on those items that we know the people of the ACT believe are important. That was necessary because the federal governments-until the current federal government, which, through the grants commission, has increased funding for the ACT-after self-government consistently reduced funding for the ACT.

Now, Mr Hargreaves also made a point about HIH. The HIH money was going to somehow wipe out the surplus next year. Well, with regard to the HIH money, again, we can put aside the $30 million for the workers comp, and the $740,000 plus the GST, because we have managed well. We have the budget in a state where, even though a crisis like the collapse of HIH appears, we actually have the funds available to cover the needs of those Canberrans who would otherwise be disadvantaged by the collapse of this company. And why: because we have managed well.

Ms Tucker then spoke. She criticised us and said, "Yes, the environment budget has grown, but it has not grown enough. It is not an integral part. It is not integrated." Seemingly all the good things that the government has done are because the Greens suggested them. Even though Kerrie would have you believe that we are bereft of ideas, the Australian Capital Territory State of the Environment Report 2000 says-and these are the words of the Commissioner for the Environment:

Government achievements 1997-2000

The ACT government has demonstrated significant leadership nationally, in finalising the ACT Greenhouse Strategy and commencing its implementation during 1999-2000. Since commencing State of the Environment reporting in 1994, we have stressed the importance of a whole of government approach to environmental best practice. Such an holistic approach to environmental issues is well demonstrated in the ACT's Greenhouse Strategy which is to be linked with the Healthy Cities Canberra Program, the Integrated Land Use and Transport Strategy and the ACT Sustainable Development Policy.

Not my words, but the words of the independent Commissioner for the Environment. He goes on:

The ACT is also a pace-setter in other top issues, such as municipal waste management and waste water treatment.

He then goes on to list the government's more significant-these are only the more significant-environmental achievements during the reporting period.

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