Page 2978 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 14 August 2013
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Mr Hanson’s assertion in his motion that federal Greens have cut, or plan to cut, at least 10,000 public service jobs simply has no basis in fact. Let us see him produce the evidence of any Greens policies that suggest that that is what the Greens want to do. It is not the Greens’ policy position. It is not the position that anybody in my party has put. For Mr Hanson to move a motion suggesting so is simply dishonest and reflects badly on his research, or lack thereof.
Mr Barr has taken some time to go through the situation in the ACT. His amendments spell that out in some detail. I do not reflect on that any further other than simply to say that I appreciate having the actual facts put on the table for the purposes of the motion. I will be supporting Mr Barr’s amendments. It is important that we do discuss these issues, but I think Mr Hanson would do well if he wants to raise these issues to try to have some accuracy in his motion rather than simply making up the bits that suit his political agenda.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella) (11.38): I rise to move a technical amendment to Mr Barr’s amendments, which will remove part 3 from Mr Hanson’s motion.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am confused about where you are moving the technical amendment, Mr Gentleman.
MR GENTLEMAN: I am moving an amendment to Mr Barr’s amendments. I seek to add the words “remove paragraph 3 from Mr Hanson’s motion”.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have just been advised that a copy of this will be distributed in a moment.
MR GENTLEMAN: I will talk to the motion whilst it gets distributed. I move:
Add the following amendment:
“(3) omit paragraph (3).”.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that Mr Gentleman’s amendment to Mr Barr’s amendments be agreed to.
MR GENTLEMAN: That is right. Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to bring some history to the Assembly. It is my personal history of the life and times of 1996 and the Howard government. Of course, before John Howard was elected he provided a promise in his election campaign to cut public service jobs by 2,500.
The reality, of course, between 1996 and 1998 was 32,400 jobs. As an exact witness to those job cuts, I think I have mentioned in the chamber before that I was working at that time in the federal government printing office in Kingston. The building was used as the departure lounge for the whole department of admin services. Under the Howard government, with Max Moore-Wilton at the head of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet—Max the Axe his nickname was at the time—they disassembled the whole of the department of admin services, not just an agency. It was the whole department of admin services.
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