Page 3788 - Week 12 - Thursday, 22 November 2007
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Canberra was built on the public service. If people chose not to transfer, what employment opportunities will they have here when the whole base of the community is uprooted? What will the Rudd government do to assist the ACT government of the day to provide new employment opportunities? Have we thought about that? Or what assistance will Mr Rudd give to those who have to relocate from the ACT to another state? You see, there is no detail in anything that Mr Rudd has put out. We have not got any detail at all—none whatsoever. Scratch the surface and there is nothing there.
As I have said before, if at this late stage he is only just now getting the costings for over a hundred policies, Australia beware—watch out. What will happen to the current personal networks that provide so much wealth to the commonwealth by people being in physical proximity to people in associated areas of interest and responsibility?
This is a cold and calculated move: no more, no less. At best it is giving Mr Rudd and his Labor people the opportunity to pork-barrel ad infinitum; at worst it is just a bunch of empty words to try and flex his political muscle to the Australian public. I am sure you will not be laughing, Mr Barr, when it actually hits home here in the ACT. If Mr Rudd gets in, we will see if you are still laughing in that way. Who will be attracted in the future to work for commonwealth departments and agencies when they have no security of domicile? A Rudd Labor government will treat people like automatons. How can we trust Kevin Rudd? I do not think we can. “Do as I say or go to hell” or, as one of my constituents said to me, “A federal Labor government would mean Australia is run by a bunch of control freaks.”
Greens—election policies
DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (6.24): Look, I have stood by on the whole while some members of the Liberal opposition have vented this week and last week. I understand that they are difficult times for them, that there will be a lot of adjustment. I guess losing an election is probably maybe third after moving house in terms of trauma. I am prepared to accept that people use this place to vent, but I did not really think people would actually come and promulgate lies, so I feel obliged to stand up to quickly respond to Mr Seselja, the shadow minister for misrepresenting the Greens policy on drugs.
MADAM TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mrs Dunne): Order! Dr Foskey. There is a proper way of addressing or referring to a member. Can you please do it?
DR FOSKEY: Thanks, and I seek leave to table the Australian Greens policy on drugs.
Leave granted.
DR FOSKEY: I table the following paper:
Australian Greens Policies—
Drugs, Substance Abuse and Addiction, issued September 2007.
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