Page 1099 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 6 May 2014

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are pursuing an aggressive program of red tape reduction in consultation with industry to eliminate unnecessary regulation and improve productivity in the local economy. We have increased activities to promote our city within the rest of this country, particularly into South East Asia, as an attractive place to visit and to live. This has included the development and launch of the new brand Canberra as well as a range of trade delegations to key international markets. We have developed the Canberra innovation network in partnership with the major research development institutions and the business sector to support and drive world-leading innovation that we know exists and is flourishing here in Canberra.

MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Coe.

MR COE: Treasurer, of those 10 jobs per day over the last 10 years, what portion of those are sparked by ACT government decisions as opposed to commonwealth government decisions?

MR BARR: The jobs growth has come in a number of areas in both the public sector and the private sector. As I indicated in my response to the initial question from Dr Bourke, we have seen a significant growth in the private sector in areas outside of government. The ACT public service—people directly employed by the ACT government—has grown significantly by about 25 per cent over the decade. We now employ nearly 18,000 full-time equivalents, and with a head count I understand it is a little over 20,000. So we account for just a little under 10 per cent of all employment within the territory. The commonwealth government has grown its level of employment in the territory from about—

Mr Coe: A point of order, Madam Speaker.

MADAM SPEAKER: A point of order.

MR BARR: 55,000 to 66,000—

MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Mr Barr! Stop the clock please. Mr Barr, I have spoken to you on a number of occasions that when there is a point of order you have to yield. You cannot continue to make your point; you have to be quiet. On a point of order, Mr Coe.

Mr Coe: Madam Speaker, the point of order is the Treasurer’s relevance to the supplementary question. The question was about what portion of the 10 new jobs that have been created each day over the last 10 years has been provoked by the commonwealth government as opposed to the territory government.

MADAM SPEAKER: That was the question; that is what I wrote down. I was thinking that Mr Barr may be getting to the point. I will uphold the point of order and ask Mr Barr to get to the point and be directly relevant to the question.

MR BARR: Madam Speaker. I was giving some very fine detail about where all the jobs growth has come from. It has come in the public sector and the private sector. The ACT government has itself, directly as an employer, contributed to some of that


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