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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 5 Hansard (14 May) . . Page.. 1196 ..

MR OSBORNE: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr De Domenico. Mr De Domenico, you will recall that this morning Mrs Carnell announced that your Government was transferring $14.2m out of the urban services budget, with the majority, if not all, coming out of capital works. Considering this, what you had to say a few minutes ago and the fact that you have put a huge emphasis on jobs in the past few weeks, can you tell me and this Assembly how many jobs will be lost because you have not proceeded with the work promised in the last budget for capital works?

MR DE DOMENICO: I thank Mr Osborne for his question. I think once again Mr Osborne takes the negative stance on things of life. Perhaps it is catching from the Opposition.

Mr Berry: Go for him, Tony.

MR DE DOMENICO: No, I do not need to go for him, Mr Berry. He accepts constructive criticism, Mr Berry, unlike others on the other side of the house. Mr Osborne would be aware of the fact that the Geological Survey Organisation building that is going ahead will create about 300 jobs. Mr Osborne would be aware that the $225m worth of redevelopment at Russell Offices will create more jobs. Mr Osborne would also be aware that there is a redevelopment going on at Stromlo which will create more jobs. Nicholls High School, which is one of ours, Mr Wood - - -

Mr Moore: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, Mr Osborne has asked a specific question about our capital works budget. You indicated in your statement earlier that you expect Ministers to be relevant. The question was about our capital works budget. We want to hear the answer to a very good question from Mr Osborne about how many jobs are associated with the $14m that has been taken out of capital works.

MR SPEAKER: I am not in a position to judge what the Minister is saying in terms of capital works, whether they are in our budget or not. I would simply ask Mr De Domenico to be aware of the point.

MR DE DOMENICO: I am fully aware. Mr Speaker, I am sure that members in this house would not care where the jobs were coming from, whether they were from Federal areas or local areas or international areas. The bottom line is that the more jobs that are going in this Territory, the better it is for the people of the Territory.

If Mr Moore wants to be pedantic, as he usually is, and wants me to confine my comments to those wonderful things that are happening in our local area, I shall say, Mr Speaker, that the Stromlo redevelopment will create more jobs in the ACT. The development of Nicholls High School, which is one of ours, will create more jobs.

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