Page 1404 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 3 May 2016
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Here in Canberra the impact was significant. The cuts to staffing and the consolidation of agencies hit not only workers themselves and their households, but also the economy as a whole, affecting confidence and growth here in Canberra. In addition, commonwealth payments to the states were significantly reduced, and in some cases ceased altogether, further hindering economic growth. This neglected the rising pressures on state and territory governments due to population growth and ageing.
In light of this significant economic shock, the territory government stepped up its support for economic growth, to support jobs here in Canberra and to support businesses. Doing so was a sign of my government’s values. We had a choice, Madam Speaker. We could have sat back and done nothing—
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Mr Hanson.
MR BARR: or just been a serial interjecting pest like the Leader of the Opposition. We could have done nothing. We could have been like Mr Hanson: we could have done nothing. But instead we stepped in and we acted.
Mrs Jones interjecting—
MR BARR: We could have left Canberrans to the mercy of the fiscal and social Darwinism that is promoted by Mrs Jones and her colleagues in the Liberal Party. We could have let people suffer. We could have let unemployment rise even more. We could have cut health funding—like the mantra of the Liberal Party. But we took the opposite path. We supported jobs. We kept people in work. We kept businesses ticking over. And we filled the gap left by cuts from the federal Liberals to our city’s health system.
This policy approach has worked. Our economy is rebounding. Growth and confidence are on the up, as evidenced by our ranking in this week’s state of the state —(Time expired.)
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Hinder.
MR HINDER: Chief Minister, why has it been important for the ACT government to actively support the ACT economy in response to recent commonwealth budgets?
MR BARR: The commonwealth’s cuts to the public service were, and remain, a significant economic shock to the territory. More than 3,000 jobs were directly cut by the Abbott government and that is a big blow to economic activity and confidence here in the local economy.
Not surprisingly, there was nothing in the way of a support or transition package from the federal Liberal Party, in acknowledgement of or recompense for the economic havoc they have been wreaking on our territory. Nobody suggested that there would be $50 billion submarine contracts here, at great expense, or a steel sector bailout. As
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