Page 1404 - Week 04 - Thursday, 26 March 2009
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is not. It is about responding to what is expected to be a downturn in some work out there, particularly for smaller operations, and to ensure that there is ongoing work and that there is certainty. I guess that was just another disappointment in the government response that is noted, but I really do think that that was quite a reasonable recommendation that was put forward by the public accounts committee.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (11.33): I will just add a few comments to those of Mr Smyth because I think he has made the case very well. I welcome the contribution of the Greens to the debate as well. There is no doubt that some form of additional spending as proposed here is reasonable and that is why we will be supporting this bill. The $12.761 million in the 2008-09 financial year will no doubt be welcome; but in the scheme of the overall ACT economy it, it must be said, is not significant.
We saw initially that the government, the Labor Party, were talking up expectations. They were initially talking about a stimulus package that they were going to introduce. We were all looking forward to a stimulus package, particularly given that we do have a slowing economy, that we are the only jurisdiction in the nation in recession, and that we have a Treasurer who went out and said, “Yes, we are going to stimulate the economy.”
Then, as it turned out, as time went by, she got further advice and the further advice was: “Well, actually, minister, you are not going to stimulate the economy. What you are going to do is have a local initiatives package.” Then no doubt the spin doctors went to work to reshape the message of what it actually was. We are not quite sure—we have never heard from the minister—when she changed her mind about a stimulus package.
Mr Hanson: When Jon told her.
MR SESELJA: It might have been when Jon told her. It might have been when the public servants advised her. I do not know. But perhaps the minister in closing can let us know when this package went from the stimulus package that we were promised—
Mr Smyth: Mini-budget.
MR SESELJA: the mini-budget that we were going to see, that was going to take the economy forward—hopefully a roadmap for bringing the ACT out of recession. Indeed, we have not seen that. At some stage—I cannot remember the date—we saw the changed language in the newspapers and in the media reports when Ms Gallagher said: “Well, no, we are not going to do a stimulus package. We are too small to stimulate.” Then on 17 December Ms Gallagher said, “The government is considering a second stimulus package.” And then by 5 February: “We are not calling it a stimulus package. We are too small to stimulate.” And then, of course, she went on to say: “It is a very modest package. Don’t get your hopes up.”
The confusion that has been demonstrated by the Treasurer about what the government would be doing and what the government could be doing would not be filling anyone in the community with confidence. It would not be filling anyone in the
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