Page 1785 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 8 May 2013
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MADAM SPEAKER: And you would not be presuming to tell the Speaker how to do her job, would you, Mr Barr?
MR BARR: I am just making an observation on the observation that was made by the Leader of the Opposition, Madam Speaker. The government will, of course, support Mr Rattenbury’s amendments, just to—
Opposition members interjecting—
MR BARR: It is common sense, really, is it not? The additional clauses I think are agreeable, and we are happy to support those. I would just like to make some observations, though, on Mr Hanson’s comments in relation to employment. It is curious that when you look at the employment data for the territory and the record level of employment that we currently have—well above any level of employment we achieved under the Howard government—
Mr Seselja: That is incorrect. You are going to have to withdraw it.
MR BARR: There are 209,500 people in employment, Mr Seselja. How many were in employment when the Howard government was—
MADAM SPEAKER: Would you address your remarks through the chair, Mr Barr.
MR BARR: 209,500, Madam Speaker—a record level of employment in the Australian Capital Territory. We are talking absolute jobs, because that has been the context of this discussion. If the opposition are suggesting that the level of public sector employment in the ACT is somehow determined inversely by the population of the ACT, that is a curious correlation to draw. Therefore, public sector employment will continue to rise if the ACT population continues to rise? I am not sure that that correlation is quite there.
If the suggestion is that employment levels in the public service have reduced in the last six years, as is the assertion from the Leader of the Opposition, someone ought to tell Joe Hockey. Maybe you could do that, Mr Hanson. Then he might stop going around the country saying—
Mr Smyth: So there have been no jobs lost?
MR BARR: that there are 20,000 more people. According to Joe Hockey there are 20,000 more positions in the ACT. According to Joe Hockey, there are 20,000 more jobs in the ACT than there were six years ago, that there are—
Mrs Jones: 20,000 across the nation.
Mr Coe: So now you like Joe Hockey’s figures?
MR BARR: Look, I am just taking him on face value. He is going around the country saying that there are 20,000 more jobs. He inserts the words “in Canberra”. Mrs Jones
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