Page 2257 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 9 May 2012
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Well, it is not that simple. At some point you are going to have to work with us for solutions. You cannot just blame everything on the lease variation charge. The federal budget cannot be blamed on the lease variation charge, but I look forward to the media release that will blame it on the lease variation charge. This is the position we find ourselves in: yes, we have had some decisions from the federal government that we do not like. I know our federal representatives stand up for Canberra. Yes, in this instance, their representations have not delivered the outcome we want.
Mr Smyth interjecting—
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, that is the last time; next time it is a holiday.
MS GALLAGHER: But we all know the world in which we operate: you can advocate strongly for a whole range of positions, and sometimes you win, other times you do not. The important thing is that you are there arguing in the interests of Canberra. That is exactly what Senator Lundy, Andrew Leigh and Gai Brodtmann will be doing. I expect it is what Gary Humphries will be doing in his party room too, because that is their job. That is what people elect them to do. Yes, they might not have been as successful as we had hoped, and the two of them who are not members of cabinet were probably not privy to those discussions. I think the allegation that Mr Seselja made that people have been lying is not correct. They are not here to defend themselves, but based on what I understand and what I know of the work they have been putting in, they have been advocating strongly for the people of Canberra.
It is unfortunate that we do not have that kind of view being taken by the Leader of the Opposition or any of his team and that they are prepared to just promote bad news to score some sort of political gain. What we need at the moment is a unified view in the Assembly of what we are going to do. We have 1,400 jobs going. There are other savings measures. There is a $164 million cut to the wages bill in the outyears. What as a community can we do and will we do to respond to this to make sure that our city’s economic stability is maintained, that our city’s economic growth can continue, that our city can continue to develop, that there are jobs and choices for people? What exactly are you going to contribute to that debate? That is where it has moved to today. The budget is there; the information is there. We have processed it and we understand what it means. The decision now is: what do you do about it? I have put in place some measures straightaway to further those discussions, and they are important discussions to be had. I am very happy to update the Assembly as we go forward.
This amendment I moved simply adds to Mr Seselja’s motion. As I said, I think it tidies it up so that it becomes less of a hysterical motion demanding this and demanding that, which really is not going to deliver anything. The amendment includes that the Chief Minister has written to the Prime Minister seeking a meeting to discuss the impact of the federal budget and that the Assembly supports efforts to assist the local economy to respond with a responsible budget strategy.
I imagine that is a motion that we could all support, and I think that would send an important message when I go and meet with the Prime Minister that I have been given
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