Page 1936 - Week 07 - Thursday, 31 May 1990
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Mr Berry: You just said you do not know. That is fine. Sit down.
MR HUMPHRIES: I did not say I do not know. I said that there is not an answer yet. You want answers to things that are not facts yet. I think the situation is quite clear, Mr Speaker. The process of consultation will have to be a genuine one, and when it is concluded I will then be able to release the criteria for the edification of Mr Connolly and others.
Priorities Review Board
MS MAHER: My question is directed to the Chief Minister. In view of the concerns which have been expressed regarding the possible impact of some of the recommendations of the Priorities Review Board, will the Chief Minister make clear why it is necessary for changes to be made to the way services are currently provided to the ACT community?
MR KAINE: First of all, Mr Speaker, I would like to comment, in connection with that question, that some of the initial reaction to the Priorities Review Board's report, in my view, has been a little bit emotional and ill-considered because I think it has been assumed by some people in the community, and probably stoked up by some members of the Opposition, that the decisions are, in fact, those of the Government.
They are not decisions of the Government at all. It is a report that has been put to the Government. It makes some 120 recommendations. The Government will look at those recommendations and will consult with the trade unions, community groups, our own employees and other interested people to determine which of those recommendations should be adopted and to develop an implementation plan to put them into effect.
Some of the emotional reaction that has come out so far is ill-considered and, I think, an unreasonable response. But I think the thrust of the question is: why is it necessary to make changes in the way we provide our services to the community? The simple, blunt response to that is that we cannot afford to continue to deliver them at the same cost as we are currently incurring.
Mr Berry: How much?
MR KAINE: We come back to the $100m again, Mr Berry. If you do not believe your former Finance Minister at the Federal level - - -
Mr Berry: Have you checked the figures? You have not even bothered.
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