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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (2 December) . . Page.. 4271 ..

Economy

MS McRAE: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, I refer to your comments at the Property Council conference last Friday where you described the recession in Canberra as "the transition that we had to have", which you subsequently pointed out is the transition from people losing jobs in one sector and waiting forever to get jobs in another sector. Is negative gross State product in four of the last five quarters the transition we had to have? Is negative dwelling unit approvals in six of the last seven months the transition we had to have? Is a falling employment trend for six months in a row the transition we had to have? Is a rising unemployment trend for six months in a row - all confirmed in these Bureau of Statistics publications - the transition we had to have? How do you justify your actions to the Canberra community, or is it your view, still, that we should all stop whingeing because it was good for us?

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I have answered that question four times.

MS McRAE: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. What an appalling performance! Quite clearly, it is because - - -

MR SPEAKER: Order! We are not asking for a critique; we are asking for a supplementary question.

MS McRAE: Well, I was asking for an answer, Mr Speaker, and I would have appreciated getting one. Quite clearly, Chief Minister, it is because you believe that the recession in Canberra is the transition we had to have. Is that why you sacked 7.6 per cent of your own work force at the same time as John Howard was sacking 7.8 per cent of his work force? Was the pain and suffering experienced by those public servants now out of work, and those still under threat of losing their jobs, the transition that Canberra had to have? How do you justify your actions? You cannot, can you?

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I do not know whether this Assembly wants me to answer the same question. For the sixth time the same thing has been asked.

MR SPEAKER: You cannot. Standing orders do not allow it. A question fully answered cannot be renewed, says standing order 117(h).

Ms McRae: Mr Speaker, please point out just when a question was fully answered. We would love your guidance on that. We have yet to hear a question fully answered. We are in your hands.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, the Chief Minister has fully answered this question now four times. She made it clear to the Assembly that her reference to a transition we had to have was not a reference to the recession, the now past recession. That point has been made perfectly clear. If the Opposition wants to take points of order to try to avoid the fact that their question has been fully answered, that is bad luck; but it is not going to waste the time of the Assembly.

MR SPEAKER: As far as I am concerned, the question has been adequately answered.

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