Page 526 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 10 February 2009
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The government has had discussions with the business community in the area of housing and small commercial projects that the industry has the capacity to deliver. The large commercial buildings that are under construction are nearing completion. This means now that there are a number of subcontractors and subcontracting firms that are looking for work. Further, we understand that subcontractors are chasing work and that prices have been modified to suit the capacity. The Master Builders Association of the ACT has confirmed this situation.
The ACT government will soon be announcing a third appropriation in response to the economic situation. The funding to be announced as part of the third appropriation, along with that announced as part of the nation building and jobs plan, will ensure that the ACT government meets the challenges of delivering the nation building and jobs plan.
We have moved quickly to appoint a coordinator general and a senior team of public servants. The Chief Minister announced last Friday the appointment of Ms Sandra Lambert as the ACT Nation Building Coordinator General. Ms Lambert will join coordinators based in each state and the Northern Territory to oversee the rollout of the planned infrastructure and construction and will liaise with the newly created commonwealth office of coordinators.
In signing up to deliver this unprecedented, one-off funding package from the commonwealth, we need to ensure that the ACT is able to roll out a record number of new capital works. These are projects for our schools and are in line with in excess of 400 public and community housing dwellings. We know what work needs to be done and we are committed to delivering to the ACT community both the plan as well as our continuing significant capital works program.
These are challenging times for us all. The leadership of the Australian government in developing such a significant stimulus package, a $42 billion stimulus package on top of an already delivered $10.4 billion announced last year, is supported by the ACT government. It will be interesting to see how that debate—debates that create opportunities for Australian households and Australia as a whole as a community—develops in the Senate this week.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (4.50): Yes, it will be interesting to see how the debate develops and whether the federal government and the ACT government can provide a detailed analysis of whether or not this package will work. Ms Burch has dutifully read her speech—it is almost like having Mr Gentleman back. But she did pose the question: what do we do? There are a number of commentators, economists and people far better trained than anybody in this place who are saying that this package is not the way to go.
If you look at individual lines, of course, there are things we are delighted with. It is great to see Kevin Rudd stealing our policy on home insulation. It is a policy that the Chief Minister pooh-poohed before the last election and said, “You shouldn’t do it, you can’t do it, you won’t do it, we’re not going to do it.” Yet here we are, not even six months after the election, and Kevin Rudd has stolen Zed Seselja’s policy on insulating homes.
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