Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 8 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2375 ..

MRS DUNNE (continuing):

Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world

Like a Colossus, and we petty men

Walk under his huge legs and peep about

To find ourselves dishonourable graves.

We also know what Big Julie, the Chief Minister, thinks about the Minister for Planning. What would he say about Caius Cassius?

Would he be fatter...

Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort

As if he mocked himself and scorned his spirit

That could be moved to smile at anything.

All I say is: watch this space, Chief Minister, and watch your back, because, in 846 days, when there is an election in this place, I put on the record my prediction that the most popular man in history-more popular than Idi Amin, Mohammed Ali and Elvis Presley combined-will not be wearing the crown. He will not be wearing the laurel. I suggest that this appalling budget is a cynical exercise in bringing an end to the honeymoon of the Labor Party and the reign of Big Julie.

This budget is regressive. The stamp duty and the rego and parking fees are examples of that. It offers nothing for business, there is nothing expansionary that is needed at a time of collapse. It is a budget of contraction. There is nothing to create the real source of wealth in our community-jobs.

We talk about poverty. There is nothing in this budget which is the surest antidote to poverty that you can find-jobs. This budget is a failure of vision, it is a failure of leadership. The only vision you find in this budget is the rebadging of the initiatives of the previous government.

In this budget, like in the times of classical Rome, when there was no vision, the people perished. This is what will happen here. There has been an abandonment of any concern about social capital, about addressing the issues of poverty. All I can say, Mr Speaker, is that, with one Quinlan budget down and two more to go, it is a dreary thought.

MR PRATT (4.53): Mr Speaker, I rise to follow up on the Leader of the Opposition's analysis of this government's budget, and to concentrate on-

Mr Hargreaves: I am going to chuck myself off a cliff!

MR PRATT: No. I have a few initiatives, Mr Hargreaves.

Mr Hargreaves: I look forward to them.

MR PRATT: Thank you very much, sir.

Mr Speaker, I wish to congratulate the government on their new initiatives, and particularly the way they have carried out part of their promise of continuing the previous government's initiatives. I will be watching keenly to see whether full and efficient implementation of these continues with regard to the education sector throughout this year.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .