Page 4195 - Week 11 - Thursday, 17 Sept 2009
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MR SPEAKER: Ms Burch, a supplementary question?
MS BURCH: Can the minister advise the Assembly of other benefits of the stage 2 investment?
MR HARGREAVES: I am happy to expand on that. One of the reasons for the stimulus package was to support jobs. Federal Treasury has estimated that 15,000 jobs nationally will be supported by the stimulus, which translates into hundreds of jobs in the ACT. Stage 2 will provide a huge economic boost to the ACT building and construction industry, creating jobs for our builders, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, brickies, carpet layers, kitchen manufacturers and many other related trades.
The OECD employment outlook says that Australia’s fiscal stimulus package seems to have had a strong effect in cushioning the decline in employment caused by the global economic downturn. It has been publicly supported by organisations such as ACTCOSS, ACT Shelter and the HIA, who can see the benefits it will have for the ACT.
I thank the Greens for supporting the stimulus package, but I ask Ms Le Couteur to talk to those people who will benefit from having their jobs supported, to the people being moved out of homelessness and to ageing Canberrans who will be able to age in place and then tell us whether she really still thinks that the stimulus package is—I use her words—a Rudd government re-election package. I can see the discomfort over that side of the room.
The Liberals, are trying, of course, as they do, to deflect scrutiny from the fact that the federal Liberals voted against the stimulus package. They voted against the benefits it will have for social housing in addressing homelessness and disadvantage. What are you going to say to homeless Canberrans, Mr Coe? These guys voted against the benefits it will have for helping ageing Canberrans to age in place? What are you going to say to ageing Canberrans about that, Mr Seselja? Most importantly, the federal Libs voted against the benefits it will have for supporting and protecting jobs in the ACT. Shame, shame, shame. So those opposite should hang their heads in shame and tell the people of Canberra why the Liberal Party voted against the package. (Time expired.)
MR SPEAKER: Ms Le Couteur, a supplementary question?
MS LE COUTEUR: I understand that none of these developments were around town centres or inner Canberra. When will ACT Housing be able to do redevelopment in those areas?
MR HARGREAVES: Ms Le Couteur is wrong. There will be developments in and around town centres. One that comes to mind instantly is the Mount Neighbour school precinct. There will be older persons units in there. It is less than 200 metres from the Kambah village. If those opposite are saying, “Can we have them in the middle of Civic?” the short answer is yes. There will be some pop up in Braddon less than a kilometre from the centre of the nation’s capital.
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