Page 1117 - Week 03 - Thursday, 18 March 2010
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I think that has been the strategy. That is the strategy outlined in the budget and that strategy has been successful to the point that the ACT has the strongest performing economy in the country.
MR SPEAKER: Supplementary, Mr Coe?
MR COE: That is right, Mr Speaker. Treasurer, how do you explain the failure of the economic white paper to lead to any diversification of the ACT economy?
MS GALLAGHER: I am not sure how that relates to Mr Smyth’s question—the economic white paper. But, if you look at the steps that this government has taken to support NICTA, for example, to support the ANU, to support research at the hospitals, to build new facilities such as the arboretum—to actually drive, to inspire, to lead with projects—you will see that many of the issues outlined in the white paper have been followed by this government.
I have to say that this has been done—
Opposition members interjecting—
MS GALLAGHER: Oh, so you do not like the arboretum now?
Opposition members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MS GALLAGHER: You are against the arboretum now?
MR SPEAKER: Order, members of the opposition! I have spoken time and time again this week, particularly about the volume of interventions. I do not expect the Treasurer or any other minister to be shouted down. The next person who does it will be warned.
MS GALLAGHER: I cannot even remember where I was up to. It is actually quite difficult, when all of you start shouting at once when I am speaking, to actually continue on the path. But this government has invested more than any other government into ensuring that our private sector is supported. We have a range of business programs which are actually managed under the portfolio responsibility of the Minister for Business and Economic Development. Perhaps if you have further questions about those, you might want to get off your little “attack Katy” strategy and ask another minister a question in question time.
Let us look at the economic indicators of the ACT. If you go down one by one, it will demonstrate how strong this economy is—and you cannot say that we have not had a role in this. You blame the government when we go into a technical recession. But, when all the economic indicators are positive and leading the country, all of a sudden it has got nothing to do with us; it has got nothing to do with us.
Mr Smyth interjecting—
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