Page 1699 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 4 June 2014
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We intend also to invest heavily in the opportunities provided by digital technology. This budget provides $85 million for new digital technology investments to ensure that we are Australia’s leading digital city.
We respect the role of the public service and, unlike those at the commonwealth level who have seen fit to slash public service jobs, the territory is maintaining the size of our workforce. We are getting behind local businesses through a range of initiatives to support young entrepreneurs and public servants making the transition into the private sector.
We are establishing new business support programs such as the Canberra innovation network to assist in growing our export base. This economy, 1.6 per cent of the nation’s economic activity, is now generating 2½ per cent of our national exports in services.
The government has allocated $2.5 billion for a robust infrastructure program over the coming four years to deliver a range of transformational infrastructure projects. This will keep people in work and ensure that our construction sector has a steady pipeline of projects that will improve the territory’s infrastructure base.
Finally, we are investing in Canberra’s social and human capital. We are supporting our community—keeping people in work, keeping business ticking over, supporting the most vulnerable and providing the growth and opportunity needed to retain the best and brightest in our territory.
The budget I handed down yesterday is a very clear statement of our values. It is a statement of the value the government places on community, on households, on businesses, on jobs and on supporting growth. It is a budget with a heart—a budget that supports our community.
MS BURCH (Brindabella—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Disability, Children and Young People, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Women, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Racing and Gaming) (10.25): I thank Dr Bourke for bringing this motion to the Assembly. I think that it is a fine motion and it shows that this budget is the right budget for the right time for Canberra. As the motion notes, this budget is designed to see Canberra through some very difficult times indeed. We know that the direct result of the federal budget on the ACT books is $375 million over the next four years. This does not include the indirect result of other commonwealth decisions such as public service job cuts.
It is a very challenging period but we as a Labor government will do all we can to support those in our community. We will work with community groups and businesses to ensure that the community comes together in this period and rises to meet the challenge. I am very pleased that as education minister I will be playing a part at this time. We will continue to ensure that the ACT is a nation leader in education. We will maintain our investment in education and training to provide quality education that improves lives and ensures that we have a skilled workforce population for the future.
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