Page 3444 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 22 October 2014
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Mr Hanson, and indeed the Prime Minister have continued to advocate their position that we first need to grow the economy and that only then can we support the vulnerable in our society. On the face of it, it is a very attractive argument, but nonetheless it is a lazy one.
This position was evident in the recent federal budget, which now risks undermining the gains this city has made since it was recklessly undermined once again by a previous conservative federal government. The effects of this current federal budget are already having a negative impact on overall economic activity in the ACT and region, and more so on individuals and their families. Then Mr Hanson comes into this place and, once again, as Ms Berry said, talks this city down. Not content to denigrate the city, he targets all of our hardworking public servants who provide, on a day-to-day basis, the services that he says are failing.
The Labor government believe, and indeed have proved, that economic growth and support for the vulnerable in the community are not in competition with one another, and can be simultaneously achieved.
This was recently demonstrated in the 2014-15 ACT budget, which funded, amongst other things, the new human services blueprint trial in west Belconnen. That was created by this Labor government in partnership with the ACT community sector. As you know, the human services blueprint initiative has been widely praised for the new way it brings services to work together to make it easier for people to get the right support, with the right services, at the right time, for the right duration.
As you know, I have stated in this place on several occasions that this Labor government’s key focus has been to make sure Canberra is a great place to live, work and do business. Over the years, it has focused on jobs, health, the environment, education, safety and housing. Not surprisingly, it is these same areas that were focused on in the report, receiving an average score of 9.6 out of 10.
There is no doubt that it is as a result of this government’s decisions that the ACT’s economy is more resilient than ever and is well placed to manage the negative impacts that are arising from the commonwealth budget decisions.
That is why the government has continued to support the economy and invest in our people, to help counter the impact of job cuts by leveraging our strong balance sheet to invest in infrastructure, to transform our city, to stimulate economic activity and to create jobs, particularly now, when they are needed the most. We recognise that the ACT workforce is perhaps the highest skilled and best paid in Australia, and we know that with the appropriate assistance there can be opportunities for workers and businesses. In per capita terms, the state accounts for 2012-13 indicated that gross income in the ACT was $97,269 per person, which is nearly $40,000 more than the national per capita average of $57,441.
When it comes to unemployment, the ACT has seen continued low unemployment. It has risen slightly, as Mr Barr mentioned, to 4.7 per cent. However, it is still the second lowest of all states and territories, 1.4 percentage points below the national unemployment rate, which has risen nationally due to decisions made by the current federal government.
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