Page 2890 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 19 September 2006
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an environment where the shadow minister for education will not give any indication of how many schools will be reopened.
We heard, in the matter of public importance today, the shadow Treasurer talk about the burden of rates and taxes. Which rates and taxes is the shadow Treasurer going to abolish? The shadow treasurer stands up here today and berates the government for a rated regime. That is an indication that this is not good enough. These are rates and charges which the Liberal Party in government simply would not tolerate. Mr Mulcahy would not tolerate this regime of rates, charges and fees. Therefore the shadow Treasurer, if he ever becomes Treasurer, will remove these increases. He will make these cuts. That is what the shadow Treasurer will do.
Mr Pratt is the only one that has had the honesty to date to state that, in government, that has gone—$20 million. We have got this concrete figure of $20 million.
Mr Mulcahy: It was $300 million at lunchtime.
MR STANHOPE: It is, if we add everything up.
Mr Mulcahy: Sorry, I was confused.
MR STANHOPE: No, it is there, and it will be produced, as you very well know.
Mr Mulcahy: I am sure.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, members of the opposition! I am hanging on every word the Chief Minister is saying. Chief Minister, proceed.
MR STANHOPE: Particularly the words of praise. But we need to develop this theme. It behoves the opposition as the alternative government not just to note the impact of rates and charges—to criticise them, to condemn them, to insist that in government it would not have done this—and then provide no answers, make no suggestions, offer no solutions, simply condemn without an alternative, and suggest that these rates, fees and charges will be cut or will be removed, as Mr Pratt has done with the fire levy.
We can start with the explicit $20 million. We are dealing with $60 million over three years. Where is it coming from? Then we have your condemnation today of the full range of rates, charges and increases. Where is the money coming from? What will a Liberal government do? Which services will you cut? Particularly in an environment where you are condemning rates and charges—
Mrs Dunne: Not spend like a drunken sailor.
MR STANHOPE: Mrs Dunne, I hope, is the next to stand so that she can address the issue of the cuts she is going to make in education. Which commitment is the Liberal Party making on schools it may close? They are all being reopened, are they? The Liberal Party in government will reopen all the schools that we close, with the budgetary implications and education implications of that.
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