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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 4 Hansard (10 April) . . Page.. 921 ..

MR QUINLAN (continuing):

What we find, for example, is that the remand centre, which Mr Smyth just inquired about, was left to us in a position where something must be done, and must be done immediately. It was chronic.

We find, as a result of the Gallop report, that disability services are in disarray. We find that the government has signed an MOU with the university for a medical school. No budget for that! We find that there was a jail announced by the government-$110 million. No funds for that!

Let me assure you, Mrs Cross, that the government will be working its best to ensure that there are no job losses, as you call it, as we have said. I don't know whether I said it in terms of that quote or somewhere else where I was interviewed in relation to the same question, but I did say that, in large part, administrations handle information, and information-handling has been modernised at a great rate over the last few decades. That has meant a whole change in demographics of employment in bureaucracies.

It doesn't matter how many times I say it, I suppose-it is just the same words from a new Treasurer-but the situation we find is not a pretty sight. We are now faced with a very, very tough job, and we are working through that very, very tough job. I, as Treasurer, have a responsibility to make sure that the territory is heading in the right direction. Quite clearly, some of the lines in this report indicate that in the outyears, particularly in terms of the cash capacity of this territory, the legacy we received is not a great legacy. Best endeavours, I guess, is my answer to that.

Corporations law

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Attorney-General in his capacity as minister responsible for corporations. In an answer in question time yesterday you said that the former government had been less than vigorous in respect to pursuing the issue of the ACT's lack of power over corporations.

Is the Chief Minister aware of his incoming government brief which says, in part:

that is, the one dealing with the inability of the ACT to legislate in respect of corporations-

The rest of the brief, Mr Speaker, is blacked out; so we don't know what else he goes on to say about that.

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