Page 4955 - Week 15 - Thursday, 15 December 2005
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MRS BURKE (Molonglo) (4.54): I have to agree with all the comments that have been made by my colleagues in this place today. While listening to the debate, what has struck me is how totally unfriendly these proposals by the government are towards everyday people, mums and dads. Mrs Dunne has eloquently said it, and my colleague Mr Mulcahy has said it too: this is yet another impost upon our community, which is already, by the government’s own admission, in many cases doing it tough. So I ask the question: why do we slug them again in the hip pocket?
This government has now got a really good record of mismanaging its affairs. So what does it do? It slugs people in the community to make up for its ineptitude and mistakes. It is particularly mean to hit people at this time of the year with the sort of legislation on the table before us today. Other areas of this legislation will hit at small business. This government purports to be small business friendly. What an absolute shambolic state of affairs to stand up and say that and then go and do these sorts of things to really make sure that you put more and more pressure on small business owners, who are of course mums and dads and who employ people.
The government have lost their way in terms of their financial management of this city. They have totally lost their way. Because of the mistakes they have made, they are totally dependent now upon begging from all these people in the community. They need to be ashamed, to hang their heads in shame, for hitting at the people they purport to help and assist. In fact, that is an absolute sham. You say that in one breath, yet behind closed doors, by stealth, you go and hit them—hit them where it hurts hard, at Christmas. Why not? That sounds a really good idea. This is quite dumb. It does not make good sense, it is not good law, and I think the government need to really reassess where they are travelling in terms of revenue legislation in this city.
Debate (on motion by Mr Corbell) adjourned to the next sitting.
Adjournment
Motion (by Mr Corbell) proposed
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Valedictory
MR QUINLAN (Molonglo—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development and Business, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Sport and Recreation, and Minister for Racing and Gaming) (4.57): I am feeling a little un-Christmassy after that last debate. I have been thinking about Christmas and I had decided to give each member for Christmas a metaphorical or virtual doll to carry through the year.
Mr Speaker, your doll would be of an Australian worker, complete with union ticket and an inexhaustible supply of cotton wool. For Jon Stanhope, there would be a Maria Doogan doll, complete with a remote on and off switch. For Mr Brendan Smyth, there would be a Richard Mulcahy doll, which comes with an industrial-strength voodoo kit and assorted sharp objects. Mr Corbell would also get the industrial-strength voodoo kit, but his doll would be much larger and take the form of Terry Snow.
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