Page 5412 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 16 November 2010
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MS BRESNAN (Brindabella) (11.21): I want to respond to some of the points which have been raised by the Treasurer and Mr Smyth. Firstly, there was a point made that this was done to have consistency under the intergovernmental agreement. We have deviated from these agreements in the past. An example is the national registration accreditation scheme for health. We have put in our own provisions there. There are also other instances. In terms of the industrial relations harmonisation with New South Wales, they are going down a different path. There are actually provisions for us to do this with intergovernmental agreements.
I think the issue we need to consider, which Ms Hunter raised in her speech, is that we have an obligation to the ACT to act in the best interests of the ACT. All the evidence on this scheme shows that it is not in the best interests of the ACT community. We have an obligation to act on that evidence. We have not had any evidence put forward to say how this is in the best interests of the ACT. I think the question that we have to ask is: why is it in our best interests, given the evidence which Ms Hunter has outlined? Mr Smyth has said, “The Greens don’t have any evidence about this.” Well, we have the Reserve Bank of Australia coming out about this scheme. We have the Productivity Commission, the OECD and the Senate inquiry—
Mr Smyth: No; I asked for your analysis on the $550,000 cap.
MS BRESNAN: There is your evidence, Mr Smyth. Are you saying that you do not—
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Smyth!
MS BRESNAN: There is your evidence, Mr Smyth—
Mr Smyth: Just twist it again. Twist it to suit yourself.
MS BRESNAN: Are you saying that you do not respect the work of these organisations—that they are not good enough to provide evidence to you?
Mr Smyth: No, no, no. You didn’t listen. I talked about the 550 cap. You should listen.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MS BRESNAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. No, I did listen to you, Mr Smyth—
Mr Smyth: No, no, no. You didn’t.
MS BRESNAN: And I am just reiterating—
Mr Smyth: Clearly not.
MS BRESNAN: I am just reiterating the organisations which Ms Hunter has outlined. So there is your evidence. Again, on the point of the intergovernmental agreement, it
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