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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 13 Hansard (4 December) . . Page.. 4366 ..

Mr De Domenico: Because you lot did nothing for five years. You did not have the guts to do anything.

MR BERRY: We did not do something as reckless as you have done. You do not rush into the legislature market and take such reckless action, which has created the climate we have now, the very climate which has existed since this Liberal Government came into office. What has that climate produced? It has produced regulation against a background where their constituents would have thought they would deregulate, and the party believes that too. Many of the Liberal Party members would be very puzzled by the approach this Government has taken. Quite aside from their inability to manage the ACT economy, many in the community would be puzzled that the Government would take such a silly stand when we have those old figures haunting us: 5,600 fewer jobs available in the ACT as a result of this Government's activities, 2,700 more unemployed, and for the last three months over 50 per cent youth unemployment.

Mr Humphries: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: The member's arguments have expired.

MR SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.

MR BERRY: There is no point of order, but there is still a little bit of energy. I am trying to dig out what small amounts of shame these people can show in relation to an outrageous and silly proposal. Support Mr Osborne's Bill.

Mrs Carnell: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: Mr Berry just said that there were 5,600 fewer jobs in the ACT. I would like him to justify that, on the basis that there are, I think, 900 more jobs in the ACT right now.

MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

MR OSBORNE (11.34), in reply: I would like to start off on one issue. Mrs Carnell came in here and spoke about hypocrisy. Mr Speaker, I find it very interesting to hear the word "hypocrisy" from the saviours of small business when we have this major Manuka development going ahead which is going to impact on Kingston, Deakin, Red Hill, Garran, Hughes, Narrabundah and any number of other small shopping centres around there. So, I think it is quite extraordinary to have the Government stand up and say that they are the only people interested in saving small business when, quite obviously, a major development at Manuka will certainly impact on these very same people.

I am a little bit sad, Mr Speaker, that it has degenerated into a political bunfight. I had not wanted to achieve that. I have to say that I am both amazed and disappointed, almost beyond words, that the Government is not going to support this Bill today. Mr Speaker, I believe that a complete lifting of the current restrictions for a brief period over Christmas is a fair compromise. But, unfortunately, it still seems that there are nine people who are going to vote against it. Anyone who speaks to the average person in the street would have worked out long ago that this draconian piece of legislation introduced by the Government is hugely unpopular, unnecessary and definitely unreasonable.

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