Page 213 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 26 February 2014
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the legislation and the red tape and the green tape that you and your government, ably supported by the Greens, have put in place which are stifling activity, stifling employment and stifling the growth of the city.
Let’s face it, we are a city state. There is no manufacturing, there is no agriculture, there is no mining of great extent. We are a city state. We rely on the city. The city is our home; the city is our future; the city is our economy. We have to build our city and build our economy in that vein. The changes that you have put in place are not working, as is evidenced by the half yearly update to the budget.
Looking back at the government's lack of support for local businesses, it is also worthy to note that government funding for business is less than one per cent of the budget. Compare this to when the Canberra Liberals were in government when it was approximately 1.6 per cent of the territory's budget. In the recent statement of performance for the Economic Development Directorate they missed their target on innovation grants by 40 per cent. They missed their target on the clean tech sector grants by 200 per cent. They missed the target for the ACT film fund applications by 67 per cent.
Mr Barr talks about his global connect program, but he does not talk about how he underfunded this initiative by about $1.5 million. It is no surprise that the applicants for the 2013 awards have dipped below the 2009 figures. Last year the awards received only 25 applicants for the 12 categories. That is about two applicants for each category. Ironically, Mr Barr talks about the importance of exports to the ACT, but it would not appear he is doing a great deal to make that happen.
In the machinations of Mr Barr's pseudo economic mind, he taxes business more, gives them less and is perplexed as to why local businesses are not, in his own words, stepping up to the plate. That is the state the budget review reveals. We see the deficit slipping further and further out. We see dilemmas for the government, and we know they are looking for savings. The forecast of finding another $38 million will only be compounded when they have to find more savings to attempt to get to surplus by 2016-17. It will be interesting to see the budget.
I note the minister has got a reasonably predictable amendment to follow, so we will let the debate go on. But I urge members to ask the government to do what is requested: to explain fully the deficit blowout, explain fully the increased expenses, explain the increased tax revenue and how your savings initiatives will work and where they come from, and actually detail the impact of the budget review on the community. What will it mean in terms of lost services or greater charges? What will it mean in terms of lost jobs? What will it mean to individual Canberrans as they go about their daily lives wondering what their government is up to? It is a very simple motion. It is not hard for a government—hopefully—to do that. But, of course, the minister will avoid it. He will simply say, as he always does, “You'll just have to wait for the budget.” I commend my motion to the house.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Sport and Recreation, Minister for Tourism and Events and Minister for Community Services) (4.59): So ends episode 1,700 in Smythonomics—the same speech he gives every time he gets up to speak in this place.
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