Page 1481 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 4 May 2016
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
The staffing cuts, an effect of the efficiency dividend and other economy drives in the public service, disproportionally impact Canberra’s institutions and other government agencies.
That has a disproportionate negative impact on Canberra and Canberra families.
Another article—and I am sure Mr Hanson must have a blind spot on some of those headings—headed “Budget 2016: No respite from hard times for public service” says:
Scott Morrison’s first budget offers no respite for the Australian Public Service, with more cuts, few new jobs and greater efficiencies demanded as the Coalition strives to “transform government”.
It is transforming it but I do not think for the better. It goes on to say that the coalition can see a time when there is little left to cut from the public service. Your federal counterparts are cutting and cutting and cutting until, the article concludes, “by 2019-20 the government anticipates there is little meat left on the bone”. They are your federal colleagues. That is what you smirk and laugh about when you see the impact the federal Liberals will have on Canberra families.
There is another article in the Canberra Times. I think the Chief Minister has referred to it. Leigh Sales on ABC last night asked, “What was the point of your three years in government and why should the voters re-elect you?” That is telling. And I will say when I am out in mobile offices over the next five months, “Why should the ACT voters vote for the Canberra Liberals who are combating, with smirk and laughter, the 1,400 job cuts to Canberra families.”
Mr Hanson then went on to say that we are just doing this as a political game and asked, “What connection do the Canberra Liberals have indeed to the federal Liberals?” It made me think of a couple of items that I have brought here that clearly show that these two are very connected. So any attitude of the federal Liberals is reflected in the Canberra Liberals. I brought a motion back in September of last year around child care and Ms Lawder at the time brought in an amendment to my motion spruiking the federal government’s community support program. Over there, they spruik and back in everything that the fed Liberals do. Unfortunately for Ms Lawder at the time, (1) she got it wrong, the program had been disconnected; and (2) no Canberra-based childcare services were eligible. In fact—and I do not have the figures in front of me—there were hundreds of thousands of dollars ripped out of early education childcare centres backed in and encouraged by the Canberra Liberals.
Let us talk about Gonski funding. Yes, there is money in this budget. Not enough. Nowhere near enough. But, again, I have brought to this place motions asking this Assembly to seek full funding, yes for government schools but importantly for nongovernment schools that are disproportionately affected by the non-funding of the Gonski formula in the ACT. Those opposite, led by Mr Hanson and Mr Doszpot, voted that motion down because they did not want to upset the federal Liberals.
When we look at the tax cut that everyone over on that side is saying is a good thing—(Time expired.)
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video