Page 4682 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 20 October 2010

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MR BARR: with the facts before attacking the Department of Education and Training.

Mrs Dunne: You are on your own.

MR SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne!

MR BARR: The government is acting responsibly for all in the territory and we are not using this exercise in efficiency and in the efficient delivery of government services to score cheap political points. That does stand in marked contrast to the position of those opposite. Once again, they are walking both sides of the street. They have no stomach for economic reform, no stomach for micro-economic reform, no stomach at all, Mr Speaker, for making any difficult decisions. So their credibility on any economic matter, on any budget matter, is zero.

The people of Canberra know that and that was reflected through a series of editorials in the Canberra Times over the last few days. They have made it very clear, Mr Speaker—

Opposition members interjecting—

MR BARR: The people of Canberra have made it very clear time and time again that—

MR SPEAKER: Order, members!

MR BARR: The people of Canberra have made it very clear, Mr Speaker, time and time again that they will respect and return a government that is prepared to make difficult decisions. The difficult decisions are required from time to time, Mr Speaker—

Mr Doszpot: Not bad decisions.

Mrs Dunne: Not bad decisions.

Mr Doszpot: There is a difference between difficult and bad.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Doszpot and Mrs Dunne, you are both warned for continuing to interject when I have asked you not to. Mr Barr.

MR BARR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Again, I repeat that difficult decisions are required to return the territory budget to surplus. The government has outlined the plan. The Liberals criticised that plan at the time for not cutting hard enough and fast enough. Yet when it comes to the implementation of the government’s more measured plan to return to surplus we have classic opposition for opposition’s sake.

It is exactly the same tactic that they used in 2006. We saw the result of that in the 2008 election. Long may they—

Mr Smyth: Yes, you lost two seats.


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