Page 653 - Week 03 - Thursday, 15 March 2007
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of your barrage of taxes and charges that there is one that you might have a problem with; that is, the water abstraction charge, because of the potential for court action there. You might find that you will end up with a hole in your budget because of potential court action. But that will be because of potential court action. So do not try to put words into our mouths.
Let me point out a couple of things to Ms MacDonald. Ms MacDonald said that we would increase spending and tourism. We have made a number of commitments there. This government cut tourism by $3.5 million, and what will that do? That will lead to about $20 million less coming into the coffers over the next financial year. Sometimes you have to fund some initiatives to make money. You can actually do that in the area of tourism and business.
The previous government inherited a deficit of some $344.8 million, but it got back into surplus in very difficult times—times when the Howard government cut 10,000 public servants from Canberra, on top of the Keating government’s cut of about 9,000. We created 9,990 jobs and we had a number of initiatives there which enabled us to provide services in tough times. That is called knowing how to prioritise, knowing how to put money into where your priorities lie, rather than funding vanity projects such as a statue of Al Grassby, the arboretum and the bus lane, which I note still has not been scrubbed. It is true that we might well have to inherit your prison, Mr Stanhope, which is again something that is not wanted.
I am at least impressed that Ms MacDonald does seem to appreciate what is recurrent expenditure and what is capital expenditure. That is a good start in terms of Labor governments being able to have a vague understanding of economics and how to run a territory. In terms of any promises we have made, Mr Stanhope, we have indicated that we would scrub hospital parking charges. It is a complete furphy to try to extend that any further. What do you get from hospital parking charges? You get an extra $500,000 a year. If you take into account all the costs involved in administering that, I wonder whether it is costing you more than what you are actually saving.
Mr Mulcahy: And a million dollars worth of grief.
MR STEFANIAK: The shadow Treasurer is probably right there. Mr Stanhope, we have had considerable experience in terms of inheriting government in tough times and turning the situation around through prudent financial management.
Mr Stanhope: Tell us what you are going to cut.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Stanhope!
MR STEFANIAK: One thing we have said, Mr Stanhope, and this is a classic example of your increasing the bureaucracy—
Mr Stanhope: You must have been annoyed when Smyth knocked you over to get to the speaking podium. I felt for you, mate.
MR SPEAKER: Chief Minister, cease interjecting. Mr Stefaniak has the floor.
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