Page 91 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
go in and start slashing and burning, and I do not think that is the approach we should be taking to the ACT budget. There are vital services that need to be delivered tomorrow and next week and next month. There is an expectation in the Canberra community of the type of services that will be available to them. There are pressures in many sectors and many areas that need to be addressed as well. So it needs a calm and measured approach taken to it.
The budget plan, as I said, did set out a return to balance in 2013-14, with a small surplus the following year. We should be continuing to work to that plan. But, as I said, there are important conversations that need to be had along the way and there are important decisions that need to be had along the way. It does concern me that Mr Smyth may have been saying that what we needed to do was start slashing and burning services tomorrow or very shortly. I do not think that is the way to go. We need to be considered about it. We need these important pieces of work to be part of the discussion and the conversation we take forward, and we also need to have that conversation with the broader ACT community as to how we are going to secure our budget into the future.
I also will be taking time to look at this document in further detail, because obviously it has just been tabled by the Treasurer. I look forward to having conversations in this place on the tax review and on other ideas about how we can extend and diversify our local economy. I very much see that central to that will be a clean economy strategy.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Justice and Community Safety—Standing Committee
Paper
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development): I present the following paper:
Justice and Community Safety—Standing Committee—Report 8—ACT Electoral Commission Report on the ACT Legislative Assembly Election 2008 and Electoral Act amendment bills 2011—Government response.
I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Papers
Mr Corbell presented the following papers:
Coroners Act, pursuant to subsection 102(8)—Chief Coroner—Annual Report—1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011.
Murray-Darling Basin Authority—Proposed Basin Plan—ACT Government Six Month Report on Progress with the ACT’s Basin Plan Negotiations, dated February 2012, pursuant to the resolution of the Assembly of 27 October 2010.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video