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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (10 April) . . Page.. 870 ..

Mr Whitecross: Is that a yes or a no?

Mr Corbell: Answer the question, Minister.

MR SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order!

MR KAINE: That merely demonstrates how sleazy the members of the Labor Party in this place have become. I have already indicated, in answer to earlier questions this week, that, until there is a determination made about who will be the permanent executive director of ACTION, Mr Eggins will act in that role. I would not be putting him in that role if I had any doubts about his ability to do it. He is not going to be hung out to dry. As I have already indicated, there will be a national advertisement for candidates to fill the job of executive director of ACTION. I have no doubt that Mr Eggins will be a candidate and, if he is, I wish him well. However, I will not be sitting on the interview board, and I hope Mr Whitecross is not, because he would be condemned before he started. Mr Speaker, these questions really are totally despicable, and it is about time these sleazy members opposite stopped pursuing this line of inquiry.

MR WHITECROSS: I am not sure whether that was a yes or a no.

Mr Kaine: Are you going to come up with another sleazy question?

MR WHITECROSS: They have all turned out to be pretty accurate so far, Minister. Are you aware, Minister - or do you care, perhaps - that concerns have already begun about speculation on the future of Mr Eggins? Will you do Mr Eggins the courtesy you never paid Mr Flutter and investigate these rumours and direct your Urban Services head, Mr Gilmour, to squash the rumours about Mr Eggins being forced out in the next six months? Is it true that these rumours stem from the fact that the restructuring of ACTION management, which I did not make up, but to which Mr Gilmour referred in his letter about Mr Flutter's departure, is in fact a Government decision for the full contracting out of ACTION management to a private management company?

MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, the only rumours I have heard are those being bruited about by these sleazy people opposite. I place no credibility whatsoever on them, and it does not warrant any more response than that.

MR HIRD: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister and Treasurer. Chief Minister, I recall that immediately after you brought down the 1996-97 budget there was a chorus of criticism from members in this Assembly, in particular those opposite, and from the private sector economists about a focus on job creation. Has there been any noticeable improvement in the labour market in Canberra since your jobs budget was brought down?

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