Page 2903 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 29 June 2011
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The Leader of the Opposition can talk all the trash he wants in this place but nothing will detract from the fact that he has no policy alternative. He has been opposition leader for nearly four years now and he has produced nothing of substance in this area. We look forward to the Leader of the Opposition releasing a policy in this area and perhaps putting forward an alternative position if he does not support what is being put forward by the government.
I could continue for quite some time but, given the late hour and the opportunity that those opposite will certainly want to take to speak to this line item, I will return to rebut any other spurious allegations, misrepresentations or a continuation of the sort of commentary that we have seen from the Liberal Party on matters of public policy substance when they have no alternative, nothing new to say. It is just rehashing the same tired old lines—opposition for opposition’s sake.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (8.38): It is interesting that the minister can talk for so long but say so little. That is symptomatic of the government as a whole. They are full of rhetoric, they are full of hot air, but what they do not do is deliver for the people of Canberra. In this particular line of economic development they deliver absolutely nothing for the people of Canberra. If you are in small business, even if you are in big business, if you are looking for inspiration, if you are looking for leadership, if you are looking for a sense of vision, if you are looking for a sign of a plan, if you are looking for a commitment to the private enterprise of the ACT, you will not find it in this budget. That is because they do not understand, they do not get it, and they never get it.
You only have to look at the very first recommendation relating to this area in the government's response, which is recommendation 76, which simply says:
The Committee recommends that the ACT Government provide details to the Legislative Assembly when responding to the scoping study about how the million dollars for the Australia Forum will be spent.
The answer is it will not be spent on the Australia forum; it will be spent on the planning for West Basin. But if you go to the budget paper and you ask what is this million dollars for, what is the initiative titled? Australia forum. Any reasonable person picking up this document and asking whether there is anything in here for the Australia forum would see a line item and it says a million dollars and they would think that that was being spent on the Australia forum.
Indeed the subtext says that this initiative will support work on the development plan and infrastructure requirements for the West Basin precinct incorporating the proposed Australia forum. I know that groups like the Business Council and tourism groups welcome this government commitment to the Australia forum, but they will be very disappointed when they read what the money actually is for. The recommendation is noted, and the response is:
The Government will update the Assembly on the matters for which the ACT is responsible. The Budget provided funding to develop a precinct plan for West Basin which incorporates the proposed Australia Forum. This will be an iterative
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