Page 1105 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
changes to commercial rates do not affect many small businesses because they rent their premises. They are tenants. They must be the disaffected rump that we have heard so much about in the papers lately.
Mr Smyth interjecting—
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Doszpot): Dr Bourke, could you sit down for a minute. Mr Smyth, you were listened to in silence. Could you please let Dr Bourke have some quiet.
DR BOURKE: Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. The forgotten people, small business in this town, have been strongly supported by the initiatives of this government.
When we talk about lowering payroll tax, is the Liberal Party going to increase it? When we talk about removing land tax, $230 million, is the Liberal Party going to reinstate it? Where are their policies? It is a policy-free zone and we heard that from both Mr Smyth and Mr Hanson. This government is making strong steps, providing progressive leadership, to develop business in the ACT.
We have heard about GlobalConnect, supporting local businesses to export. We have heard about local small and medium-enterprise procurement policies for the ACT government. There is a red tape reduction panel, Indigenous enterprise development, Canberra BusinessPoint providing mentoring and advice for small business and, of course, the Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre. We have heard this morning from the government about the progressive leadership and transformational projects that are creating the Canberra of the future.
In closing, I want to focus on an exciting example of this, which will enlighten Mr Smyth, who has gone off to ring someone up, probably. East Belconnen, around the suburb of Bruce, is transforming under this government. We are building a major centre of the knowledge capital, tying together a great, diverse hub of learning, training, health and high tech institutions. At either end of this zone is the University of Canberra and the Australian Institute of Sport. In between are the high tech CIT Bruce campus and the Calvary hospital, all in my electorate.
The University of Canberra public hospital is a major commitment by this government to enhance the partnership between the tertiary sector and the health system. The University of Canberra public hospital demonstrates the strong collaborative approach between the government and the university in its planning, design and function. This hospital will be a centre of excellence for rehabilitation and aged care and will include a clinical training and research base.
Planning so far has focused strongly on the ways in which students of the university—students in nursing, occupational therapy and pharmacy, amongst others—will be able to experience clinical training in greater numbers and for extended periods, simply because of the co-location of the hospital within the university. In addition, it is important to recognise the opportunities for joint research that will be maximised because of the co-location. That co-location builds on the strong research relationship
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video