Page 866 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 2 May 2007
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
We can go on with the list of embarrassments, gross mismanagement and poor governance. Some of them were major disasters. There was Impulse Airlines, a $10 million industry development program produced on impulse. We remember the governance around that, the business case, the nonsense. What a windfall for the airport and Terry Snow.
The futsal slab! Remember the futsal slab? Another brilliant piece of government by Mr Stefaniak and the Liberal Party in the ACT. The futsal slab was used once—on one occasion. There was a massive expenditure by the previous government to invite into the ACT a new sporting bonanza in futsal. The slab was used once and then abandoned.
There are other areas, at one level more serious than all the examples that I have used today. I refer to the Gallop disability inquiry report. I will produce it for tomorrow. If people want an example of the gross incompetence and lack of commitment to governance by the Liberal Party in this territory, they should get John Gallop’s report into disability services and read it. It describes the most scarifying, disgraceful lack of governance, support and compassion reported at any time since self-government. Bill Stefaniak’s fingerprints are all over that too—and so are the Liberal Party’s and, indeed, those of Michael Moore, the then minister. We read with great amusement Michael Moore’s current reflections on the state of health.
We have this party here talking about good governance. Go back and look at the Auditor-General’s reports in relation to Hall-Kinleyside, Bruce Stadium and the V8 car race. Look at the report of the commission of inquiry into disability services in this territory—the extent to which this government completely abandoned people with a disability in this community; the gross mismanagement that led to issues which we were left to pick up; and, as a result of your failings, the need for good governance, which we have pursued ever since.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (4.56): It is really interesting to go back to Mr Stanhope’s speech on good governance. He said that there would be no diatribes in relation to questions. What do we get constantly from this minister for diatribes? We get constant abuse when he cannot get to an answer; we get obfuscation when he just does not know.
Let us look at the government’s code of good government and the 26-odd points that he said he would follow. Let us see what Mr Stanhope has done. Let us pick it up. Let us start with No 1: “Abandon the draft budget”. He actually did that. He actually did it, but this is the government that said it would be more honest, more open and more accountable. Here is its record on honesty, openness and accountability. The draft budget has gone. No more consultation. The LAPACs in planning—gone. No replacement; no consultation. The monthly hospital reports—gone. There is openness, Mr Stanhope; there is accountability. The quarterly financials—gone. The ministerial travel reports—where have you been, what have you done, what have you spent? Gone. The quarterly capital works reports—gone also. Honest, open, accountable, Chief Minister? Hiding, sneering, sneaky, dismissive.
Let us go to another one. No 3? Pick a number—any number.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .