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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 8 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2382 ..

MR CORNWELL (continuing):

Were they words that you have used, Mr Quinlan?

Mr Quinlan: Yes, I think I might have.

MR CORNWELL: I am being careful not to offend, Mr Speaker-that is the point.

Mr Quinlan: No, I can live with it, Greg. Go for it.

MR CORNWELL: Thank you. The speech continued:

On the youth front, Mr Speaker, it was interesting yesterday for my office to hear from one experienced youth advocate who had entertained high hopes from this Government lamenting the fact that the youth sector was better off under the Liberals.

The key department for youth affairs appears to have neglected to look beyond the school gate and largely ignored the interests of youth who access community services outside traditional school settings.

Not only has a major skate park for the youth of West Belconnen disappeared without a trace, unfortunately several new initiatives appear so ill-conceived and under-resourced as to have much value.

And what of the lot women in this Budget, Mr Speaker?

Of the whole budget document, this area has contained the least surprises for me.

There is next to nothing new here and it is sad to see over three-quarters of the claimed "women's" initiatives are actually non-gender specific health spending.

There is no value for women in this budget-it is a pitiful effort.

Actual new spending is just one-tenth of the amount of the Liberals' initiatives in their last Budget.

This is the kind of Budget you get when the Minister for Women is a man.

Also not surprisingly, this Minister will be on holiday while his colleagues attempt to defend his feeble effort to the electorate.

I think I would be embarrassed too.

MR QUINLAN (Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Business and Tourism, Minister for Sport, Racing and Gaming and Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Corrections) (5.15), in reply: I will close the debate, Mr Speaker. I thank members. I have to say that, in general, even though there were a lot of words, there has not been any severe criticism of this budget at all. You talked about the business sector. I cannot count the number of business people that have gone out of their way to congratulate me and congratulate the government on the budget that has been brought down. I was surprised, actually.

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