Page 407 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 12 February 2013
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This is a dreadful result for the territory. The prison should be an important part of our law and justice system. Instead it is simply the most expensive, most violent and least secure in the country.
Of course, the ACT government response makes no comment about these statistics and talks instead of yet more reviews. We need more reviews to have a look at it. Ms Gallagher, I do not quite know why.
So, despite all the spin that this government might put on how well they are performing and how well they are managing the taxpayer dollar for residents, the real truth is exposed in this report from the Productivity Commission: the worst hospital waiting times, the most expensive prison with the most escapes of any in Australia and very serious education results. Not once have this government suggested they could do better. Well, the Canberra taxpayer, Ms Gallagher, expects better and deserves better. This government are on notice that the Canberra Liberals will be keeping the pressure on for the next four years.
MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Health and Minister for Higher Education) (4.26): I am terrified, Mr Doszpot, with that final sentence in your speech. Just for the information of members, my name is “Gallaher”. It has a silent “g” in it. That is how it is pronounced, just for the information of new members. Mr Doszpot, it is not “Gallager”, as most people pronounce it in this place; it is “Gallaher”.
Mrs Jones: Unlike “Giulia”, which has a “g” in it.
MS GALLAGHER: Well, it is important to me, Mrs Jones.
Mrs Jones: I just said my name is “Giulia” with a “g”, that is all.
Mr Doszpot: I apologise, Ms Gallagher.
MS GALLAGHER: That is fine. I am just saying up front at the beginning of the term that is the way you pronounce it.
In relation to the matter of public importance—and I welcome the opportunity to speak to this matter of public importance in relation to the report on government services—Mr Doszpot raises a number of concerns about the report. He is right to do that. This report is used by government to measure our performance as benchmarked against other governments. Mr Doszpot is wrong to say that I did not speak about elements of the report where we would like to see improvements. I spoke about them consistently and at length in my media commitments around the release of this report. I am the first person to come in and say that government services can always improve. There is never a point where you do not accept that your government services can improve. But I also think that we should acknowledge government services where they are doing well.
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