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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (28 June) . . Page.. 2183 ..
MR SMYTH
(continuing):Minister and Mr Stefaniak, were also involved. The areas that I get to cover through my department include things like planning, housing, the environment and heritage.
They were very pleased that, however it had come forward, whether it was through the Healthy Cities agenda or through Agenda 21, this is a government that is committed to building a better Canberra. This is a government that is committed to building up the social infrastructure. This is a government that is committed to sustaining and improving education. We have done that. We have seen the mammoth increases in spending on education over the last five years from this government, and this is the government that has put additional funding into health. Those opposite always say that we have cut education and that we have cut health. The truth is that we have not.
We now have recognition from an organisation-no less than the United Nations-that this is a healthy city. Why is it a healthy city? It is a healthy city because it has a government that is absolutely committed to the concept of social capital and building up the social capital, building up the value of where we live because it is where we live. The government this year, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, will put a $60 million refurbishment program in place to look after public housing. It is very important that we put roofs over the heads of citizens. It is very important. Mr Moore, how much additional funding is there for health this year?
Mr Moore
: Over the four years, over $65 million now.MR SMYTH
: Over four years, $65 million. Why? Because it is important. We understand that there is increasing need out there, and we have made provision to meet it. How have we made provision to meet that? Well, under the leadership of the Chief Minister, we have got control of the finances. We know how much everything costs. We know where we can now spend the money because we have been able to balance our budget. By doing so we are now able to provide more and more social capital infrastructure, more and more services for the people of Canberra. We are focused on delivering services because we understand, firstly, that Canberra must be economically sustainable. Under the leadership of the Chief Minister, we have been able to achieve that.We know that Canberra must be environmentally sustainable, and under the five years of this government we have been able to show the country that this is the greenest government of any government of any persuasion in the history of this city. We know also that this city must be socially sustainable. How do we do that? We do that by building up the infrastructure, by building up the social capital, by building up the fabric of the city, by building up the community, by building up where we live.
Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, I am glad Mr Berry raised social capital. The Labor Party does it with some sort of jest- like we have only just found it-but go back to the founding principles of the Liberal Party and the things that Menzies put in place under the principles that he saw as being important. It was about looking after the little man. It was about looking after small business. It was about looking after the aged. It was about looking after the infirm. It was about looking after the returned servicemen. It is those principles that were founded by Menzies that come through so clearly in all the social capital doctrines of today.
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