Page 2349 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 12 August 2014
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MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Dr Bourke): Chief Minister, please address your comments to the chair.
MS GALLAGHER: It is a reputable local company that has undertaken that research for the government, and we have released that research, just as we will release a whole range of information about capital metro in the months ahead. That project stands on its own, and I think it is incumbent upon us to continue to talk with the community about the benefits that that project will bring.
In terms of the work that Chief Minister’s does as part of this line item within the budget, as the central agency, under the administration changes which came in on 6 July, it does pull into this directorate functions within the former economic development directorate, Treasury and commerce and works directorate. It is a very large directorate with those changes in mind. It has an important job in terms of Chief Minister’s, with study Canberra, regional development, and some of the work we are doing inside the public service to improve performance, accountability, transparency and openness. They are all managed within this directorate.
Canberrans are extremely well served by the ACT public service. This budget looks to manage the growth in public sector numbers, so it is cautious there. We will see growth in some agencies and reductions in others. But the commitment which we made to the people of Canberra in the election remains—that, overall, we would see the size of the public service remain the same. That is an important commitment when we have another large employer in town shedding jobs.
I commend this budget. I commend the work of the Treasurer and the Treasury in putting it together in very difficult circumstances. It balances the things we have to do with the things we have committed to and the things that we had not seen coming that we need to respond to, and it maps out a vision for the future.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Housing and Minister for Tourism and Events) (5.04): I thank the Chief Minister for her comments in support of the budget, the detailed work that underpins the budget strategy and the government’s focus on ensuring that the ACT economy continues to grow during these difficult times. As I said, I will take the opportunity of speaking multiple times during this debate, but I thought now would be a good opportunity to address some of the sillier comments that have come in the last couple of hours.
Let me start with Mr Doszpot. Can I categorically rule out, for Mr Doszpot’s benefit, that the ACT government will be supporting an Olympic bid for the city of Canberra. I can confidently rule that one out at this point.
Mrs Jones, I advise you, for the benefit of your future contributions, that the ACT government’s pay offer to staff was three per cent paid in two 1.5 per cent instalments, and there was a $2,090 first-year payment—depending on where in the public service pay scale you were, more than that for lower income ACT public service staff.
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