Page 3176 - Week 15 - Thursday, 14 December 1989
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If his mini-budget in February is to restore a balanced budget, that will only be achieved by, I believe, a dramatic increase in taxes and charges for the few remaining months of this financial year. You really should be listening to me over there. I am giving you some good advice on the budget.
Mr Kaine: I am listening to this little lecture, thank you.
MS FOLLETT: Good; thank you, Mr Kaine. I am prepared to give you a little lecture any time I feel you need it. I do not have to wait until you ask me for it, as I do apparently, for the Liberal coalition's policies.
I believe that this Government does owe the people of Canberra an explanation for what they propose to do about their budget strategy. With every passing day the budget deficit is growing. Nevertheless, we are all going off for Christmas for three months. The Assembly will not be meeting, yet the legislation that would rectify that problem is ready and waiting and has been for some time.
I would call upon the new Chief Minister and Treasurer to make clear to the community what his intentions are because the actions of this Government have already put the budget significantly into deficit. That deficit must be made up, and I call upon the Government to advise the community and this Assembly what their intentions are in that respect.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
MR WHALAN: I claim to have been misrepresented. In the Assembly on 5 December, Mr Collaery said words to this effect:
What faith can we have in a Deputy Chief Minister who told us on 19 October 1989 that no Minister will have access to, among other things, the identity of casino tenderers, when a few days ago he inadvertently revealed, under media questioning, that he had spoken to a tenderer? What faith can we have in a Deputy Chief Minister who has spoken at length about a casino tendering process at arm's length, of decisions not taken on the required premium for the site or the construction phase ...
That was raised on 5 December. The tantalising reference to the events raised inadvertently by the media was, in fact, a detailed explanation to the media of the circumstances which I now wish to place on record. When Mr Collaery made this statement he was in full knowledge of
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