Page 507 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 15 February 2017
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at present or continuing to roll out. That is cutting off local industry at the knees. Business operators have been in this space for a number of years who run reputable, reliable businesses at a profit and provide great service to many Canberrans by capturing green waste and recycling it. Yet those members opposite see in their purview as ministers in this territory to put these people out of business, to jeopardise their mortgages, jeopardise their livelihoods and force them to sack workers, simply because the government thinks they are going to do a better job of it. Never, ever have we seen that happen before.
Another example, one that has been brought to my attention in just the past couple of days, is the liven up grey project for businesses, which is being run by ActewAGL but, in large part, is funded and subsidised by the territory government. This is an incentive which, on the surface, looks good. Businesses can call up, get an assessment done and have lighting in their premises upgraded for free or, if not, for a substantial subsidy. But what is not noted is that, for so many years, electricians, local operators, have been operating in this space doing exactly this sort of work and are now being cut out of the opportunity to be part of the ACTEW scheme.
I know that a number of local contractors have contacted Mr Gentleman’s office, to no avail. They have been ignored. There has been no reply to the correspondence. They are now wondering what on earth the government that is there to represent their interests and work for them and actually make sure that the city is a better place is doing when they will not even take the time to respond to a phone call or an email.
It is clear that the picture that is painted by those opposite is not the whole picture. There is a great deal of uncertainty, a great deal of concern about the direction of this government over the next four years, and it is incumbent upon all of us to hold them to account on that and to make sure that we get better outcomes that see greater investment in this city.
We see businesses thriving in this city and actually getting to a point where people have confidence in the actions of this place—as opposed to thinking that the Assembly, the parliament and the government are working against them; to have them feel that we are, in fact, working for them.
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism and Major Events) (4.28): I thank Ms Cody for this motion this afternoon and I thank members for their contributions to the debate. It is clear that the recent election was a choice between policies of stability and infrastructure investment and that of instability and uncertainty, with cancellation of major infrastructure projects, job cuts and austerity measures. They were the two very clear choices that the people of Canberra cast their verdict on just a few short months ago. For the fifth time in a row, the people of Canberra cast a positive verdict in favour of the Labor Party to form a government in this place.
Mr Wall: You’re in a minority government. Don’t forget that.
MR BARR: Sometimes it is the little things you have to cling on to, Mr Wall. In this instance, I am giving this speech as the Chief Minister and you are giving yet another
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