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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 6 Hansard (22 May) . . Page.. 1602 ..

MS HORODNY (continuing):

The public sector will be in decline in the ACT. We know that the housing market will be affected. We are saying that many things in the ACT will be affected by this current economic trend, yet you are saying that for the retail section it will be business as usual. You think that retail can just keep going on and on and expanding. It is just absolutely hopeless.

Someone mentioned entrepreneurial skills as well. That is asking local shopping centre owners to somehow carry a whole strategy for protecting local shops in the ACT. They are expected to work alone, to somehow spruce up their shops against the power of the national organisations. (Extension of time granted) When we compare the effort that we are expecting from the small businesses in the ACT with the huge money that is involved in the Woden Town Centre redevelopment, for instance, and the expansion, there is just no question that the playing field is even. It is absolutely not even. Whilst the Liberals found it easy to make these grand gestures in opposition, now that they are in power, now that they have the ability to deliver and fulfil their promises, they are unwilling to do so.

I have already said that putting a moratorium on town centre expansion is not a solution in itself. No-one is arguing that. Obviously, it is not a solution. However, a moratorium provides breathing space so that a proper local shops and small business strategy can be put into place. I would hope that that is something that the Government would be doing. I will be scrutinising your strategy very carefully when it comes out next week, or the week after. I hope that you address this issue, because it is a very critical issue. People out there are hurting. I have been going around shopping centres in my electorate. I have been talking to people in shopping centres at Charnwood and Florey, and many other shopping centres in Ginninderra, and there is no doubt that there is a lot of pain and a lot of agony out there. You are always talking about jobs, Mr De Domenico, so I hope that you address those issues in your strategy.

Question put:

That the amendment (Mr Moore's) be agreed to.

The Assembly voted -

AYES, 3	 	NOES, 11

Ms Horodny	Mr Berry
Mr Moore	Mrs Carnell
Ms Tucker	Mr Cornwell
		Mr De Domenico	
		Ms Follett
		Mr Humphries
		Mr Kaine
		Ms Reilly
		Mr Stefaniak
		Mr Whitecross
		Mr Wood

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