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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 10 Hansard (23 September) . . Page.. 3562 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

was in. I think that it is high time that the Treasurer and the government lifted their game in terms of this portfolio.

MR STANHOPE (Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for Environment and Minister for Community Affairs) (6.00): I am amazed that the opposition, in the circumstances in which we find ourselves in relation to the economic management of the ACT at this time, would move a motion such as this and stand in this place and criticise the management of the economy of the ACT by this government and by the current Treasury.

This motion is incredibly insulting-not to the Treasurer but to his officials. The Leader of the Opposition was unstinting in his criticism of the Treasury officials. They provide good advice, and are part and parcel of the mix which has led to the ACT experiencing very good conditions. It is amazing that the Leader of the Opposition would stand in this place today, in the current economic environment, in relation to the support this government is receiving from business and the business sector, and criticise the economic management of the ACT.

Let me go to today's Canberra Times. On the day the Canberra Times produces an article such as this, we are faced with a motion condemning the Treasurer, the Treasury and the government for its economic management of ACT. The article in today's Canberra Times is by Graham Cook. It is headed "ACT hiring optimism country's highest". The first paragraph reads:

That is in today's Canberra Times-the most optimistic place in Australia, in the view of the ACT business sector. I refer to an earlier article in the Canberra Times today. We are talking about today-the day on which the Liberals have moved this motion condemning the economic management of the ACT by this government. This article says that Canberra's rental market is the hottest in the nation for houses and flats.

We have the hottest rental market. We have the highest levels of confidence and optimism among those who seek to hire-or undertake an expansion of their businesses. We look at the release by Sensis entitled, "Business confidence and support for ACT government increases". This report was released on 26 August-a month ago. It says that business confidence amongst the Australian Capital Territory small and medium enterprises rose in the July quarter-the equal highest confidence level in the country.

For the information of members, I am referring to the Sensis Business Index-Small and Medium Enterprises-formerly known as the Yellow Pages Business Index. We have the Yellow Pages people reporting that the ACT, in the July quarter, enjoys the highest level of confidence in Australia from its business sector.

That is what the business people of the ACT think about the way the ACT's economy is performing; that is what they think about this government; that is what they think about the economic environment. How out of step are the Liberals with the business community and with what is going on in the ACT?

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