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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 4285 ..

MS TUCKER: Okay, I will conclude with that.

MR SMYTH (Leader of the Opposition) (5.21): I move the following amendment to Ms Tucker's proposed amendment:

Add the words "and costings".

There are two amendments on the table now from me. I will not be moving the nice, neatly typed amendment. In regard to Ms Tucker's amendment, I think it achieves exactly what I am seeking to achieve in part A of my motion, which is that, if the government is not happy with my motion, then it should set some targets itself.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Could I just have that confirmed? You are not proceeding with your original amendment, is that right?

MR SMYTH: No, I am not proceeding with the original amendment, but I will modify Ms Tucker's amendment by adding the words "and costings".

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. Is that clear, everybody?

MR SMYTH: In his foreword to the plan, Mr Stanhope actually said,

The plan is not dependent on additional resources however the Government will place a high priority on increasing the funding for key priorities in the annual budget processes.

We are not going to fund it, but we think it is important and it is just going to happen. Mr Stanhope, himself, points out that his goal of a computer system is worth $25 million. How does he know that? Because he has been working on it. He has been doing the work that follows on from the work to which the previous government made a commitment. There is a cost to implement this of a minimum of $25 million. You can spread that out as $5 million each year.

Mr Stanhope has to tell us what programs he will cut to implement his health action plan. That is the information I am trying to obtain. How do we get this to work for the benefit of Canberrans? He is saying that he can implement it with no additional resources: "the plan is not dependent on additional resources". Okay, so he is either cutting programs or he is not doing it. That is the point that I have been trying to make. I am happy to accept Ms Tucker's amendment but I would prefer to see the words "and costings"included. I think it is a reasonable thing to expect from the government.

MR STANHOPE (Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for Health, Minister for Community Affairs and Minister for Women) (5.24): The government will oppose all of the amendments. I actually think the motion itself is a nonsense and it is obvious that Ms Tucker recognises that and will not support the motion as a whole. The amendment is extremely disrespectful of the health council that I have proposed be appointed precisely to do the task of monitoring the implementation of this plan.

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