Page 1674 - Week 08 - Thursday, 28 September 1989
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there perhaps which I could indicate. For example, I know $50,000 is to be spent on the women's employment strategy. Surely that is something that current public servants would be well able to do.
Moneys are also to be spent in certain areas supposedly to assist people in certain business enterprises, for example. I note $350,000 was proposed to be spent assisting business enterprises. I have spoken to a number of people in the private sector and they see that really as a total waste and not what is needed. Business needs other types of incentives. The vast increase in commercial rates, for example, is very much a disincentive to business. Money being spent to assist business enterprises such as that $350,000 really goes nowhere.
I see also mentioned a women's enterprise service, and $150,000 is to be spent on that. A lot of money has been poured into such systems in the past to assist people to start businesses. Most of those businesses have not succeeded, and, effectively, good money has been really poured after bad there. I think that is not necessarily money well spent. I note $100,000 is to be spent on conflict resolution. That appears to be a positive thing, Mr Speaker, which can perhaps end up saving the community money, and I would regard that as being a good expenditure of money.
I am concerned at cuts to certain bodies such as Galilee, Barnardo's and Marymead, institutions which provide a very valuable service to this community. The moneys would be proposed to be spent in other areas - again, in the social welfare area - and there is no guarantee that those moneys would be well spent. Those tried and proven bodies such as Galilee, Barnardo's and Marymead are very deserving of support.
Another area, I think, which this Government, and indeed any government in the ACT, really has to look to in terms of future budgets is Federal funding. Mr Kaine has indicated that the funding stops in 21 months, and I really think it behoves this Assembly to carefully examine, over the next few months, exactly what the Federal Government is paying this community for use of facilities and what it is not. I am sure there are additional costs and additional funds we can get from the Federal Government for use of ACT facilities.
I note in the sports budget that $1.6m was to be spent on an indoor netball facility. I understand that netball facilities are already available at the AIS, Dickson and Fyshwick. Indeed, if money is to be spent on a netball facility, I think that should be made a multipurpose facility so other sports can use it. Although it is not clear from that particular item, I would hope that, if that money is to be spent on that facility, it can be used by other sports as well.
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