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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 14 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 4608 ..

MR DE DOMENICO (continuing):

The Government announced last week the winning tenderer for the Business Link initiative, to be run in conjunction once again with the business mentoring program. Both are very exciting projects that specifically call on the expertise of the business community in providing guidance to emerging businesses. We announced that last week. Not resting on our laurels, today the Government has approved an additional $289,000 worth of funding for a range of employment programs designed to assist disadvantaged clients to find meaningful and long-term employment. These are real initiatives, not the hype Mr Wood would have us believe.

As the Chief Minister said yesterday when she launched the ACT strategic plan, and in answer to Mr Moore's question today, this is not the 1970s. We cannot go back to the days of 10 per cent population growth and massive government spending. The focus this Government will continue to place on jobs for Canberrans is a recognition of the undeniably difficult situation the Territory finds itself in. We look forward to the day when we hear from Mr Whitecross and his colleagues, if they are ever in government. However, I do not think there is a single Canberran who is holding his or her breath. You can picture the photographer who printed that lovely brochure everyone raves on about. The printer probably said, "When are you going to give us Mr Whitecross's picture? I have the mock-up ready". Do you know what the answer would be? It would be, "What do you mean? It is his picture".

MR BERRY: My question is directed to the Minister for Health. Minister, you gazetted Determination No. 227 to overcome the flaws in Determinations Nos 106 and 136 in relation to health fees. The legal validity of Determination No. 227 is now in doubt and with it the legality of all the health fees collected from July this year. Will the Bill you introduce to patch up the problems created by your flawed Determination No. 227 also take into account the problems identified with Determination No. 240, your later attempt to patch up the problems with Determination No. 227, which was also criticised by the Scrutiny of Bills Committee?

MRS CARNELL: I suspect that that question is out of order. I answered it last week and suggested to this Assembly that I was seeking legal advice on the issue; that I was not going to accept Mr Berry's legal advice. I know that that sounds a strange thing to do; but I feel very strongly that, between the Scrutiny of Bills Committee, Professor Whalan and the people who work in Mr Humphries's department - those people who do have LLBs, who do have qualifications in this area - I should take their advice and not the advice of Mr Berry, or Master Berry, if he is trying to emulate one of his colleagues.

MR BERRY: Perhaps the Chief Minister might like me to ask the question again so she can have another go.

MR SPEAKER: No; I think the Chief Minister has answered the question.

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