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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 4937 ..

MRS CARNELL: Sorry; you just asked me when I was going to release the industry policy. I answered that in reply to the first question. As I said when I answered the first question, I would assume it would be next week. It will certainly be before Christmas, so it will be in the next two weeks. It is with the printers at the moment.

I think it is very important to follow up on some of the other parts of that question that Mr Corbell brought forward. One of the things I can guarantee about our industry policy is that it will be funded, and it will not be funded from the cash line in the assets in the balance sheet. Mr Speaker, we will make sure that the approach we take is one that the ACT can afford, because we can actually understand balance sheets. We know that you cannot spend your cash line in your balance sheet because if you do that you cannot pay wages and other things. I am confident that those opposite are extraordinarily embarrassed about the working capital document, Mr Speaker. It did sink like a stone, as was said.

The other part of the question, I think, was with regard to the unemployment figures today. I think one person unemployed is too many, but I am very proud of the fact that the figures that came out today showed the highest ever level of full-time employment in the ACT; that is people who are working 35 hours or more a week. What has happened over the last few months is really interesting. Certainly, there has been a reduction in part-time employment.

Mr Corbell: Has unemployment gone up or down?

Mr Berry: Tell us about youth unemployment and the Youth500 scheme.

MRS CARNELL: I am very happy to do that. Would you like to ask a question? With regard to what has happened with employment over the last 12 months, we have had increases in the number of full-time jobs for a full 12 months now. What has happened is that there has been a reduction in part-time jobs. Those part-time jobs have become full-time jobs in all circumstances. With regard to that, remember that a part-time employee under the ABS statistics is somebody who works one hour a week or more. A full-time employee is somebody who works 35 hours or more. The fact is, Mr Speaker, that we have 6,400 more full-time jobs in the ACT now than was the case 12 months ago. Those extra full-time jobs are reflecting in retail figures. The increases in retail turnover have been quite remarkable. Also, they are reflecting in our - - -

Mr Whitecross: Talk about the unemployed.

Mr Corbell: Do you want to talk about the unemployed?

Mr Berry: There are 13,000 - - -

MR SPEAKER: One at a time. Interjections one at a time. Mrs Carnell is still to answer Mr Berry's interjection about Youth500, I think.

MRS CARNELL: I would be very happy to, but I will not answer interjections, Mr Speaker.

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