Page 1778 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 4 June 2014

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video

---

Question put:

That the motion, as amended, be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Question so resolved in the affirmative.

Economy—private sector employment

MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (4.59): I move:

That this Assembly:

(1) notes:

(a) in 2001, 60% of employment in the ACT was from the private sector;

(b) the ACT Government’s position over the last five Budgets that the greatest risk to the ACT economy is a Commonwealth Government downturn;

(c) the ACT Budget Review 2013-14 report noting the public sector’s impact on other sectors due to the lack of diversification in the ACT economy;

(d) the ACT Budget Review 2013-14 report noting the ACT economy’s lack of diversification and its effect on private sector hiring intentions;

(e) the decline in private sector employment in the ACT over the last 13 years;

(f) the ACT Government’s unfair tax and charges regime, which hinders ACT business growth and investments; and

(g) the Treasurer’s admission that “The private sector are not exactly stepping up to the plate at the moment...” (ABC 666, 13/2/2014); and

(2) calls on the Government to lay down a concrete plan to return the percentage of private sector employment to at least 60% in the next five years through private sector growth.

Those who were here when Ted Quinlan was Treasurer and minister for economic development would remember the economic cycle arguments that we used to have across the table as opposed to electoral cycles. One thing we can all agree on in this

---

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video