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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 14 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 5087 ..

MR PRATT (continuing):

Mr Speaker, earlier we heard the government talk about the magnificent Gungahlin Drive extension delivering services to suburbia. Well, that was a project already in train, and it should have been completed much earlier. This government in fact managed to delay the project. While they are crowing about delivering services to suburbia they need to in fact remind us that because they were faffing around worrying about narrow interest lobby groups they didn't get on with it.

Mr Speaker, the government says it is working hard for Canberrans and working hard to deliver services to suburbia. I think they are working hard at playing politics and securing power. Mr Speaker, this government needs to get back to the fundamentals and deliver a better level of service to suburbia.

MR SPEAKER: The member's time has expired.

MRS BURKE (12.22): Mr Speaker, I note with great interest that this government- and it is becoming a bit of a pattern-has to continually reassure itself and pat itself on the back. It seems they are so lacking in confidence about being in government-and I am talking as opposed to arrogance here, which sadly is so often demonstrated in this place by the government-that they have to use valuable Assembly time and taxpayers' money to deliver a litany of "look what we have done"statements.

These things are things that people who are paying taxes expect; they expect services from a government; they expect things to be done with their money; and they are entitled to see that happening anywhere. I know Mr Hargreaves has given us a list of those things that are happening and that is good-it is excellent-but they are core business. I think it is somewhat audacious of Mr Hargreaves and a somewhat feeble attempt to give a "hooray for the day"to the government. It is a real vain attempt at mutual backslapping which I think we have heard before. Self-praise is no recommendation is what I was brought up with, although I would like to congratulate Mr Wood at this point.

Mr Wood did indeed take very good action on the playgrounds issue that was brought up earlier this year, many may remember, and we are seeing a lift in the standards, particularly in occupational health and safety of the equipment for children in those areas. We need to really ensure that continual audits of such areas are undertaken. I would also like to remind the minister that I am still awaiting his response on the liberty swing-he may remember I wrote to him about it-a revolutionary new concept in playground equipment for people with a disability. That is something else Mr Hargreaves might like to think about.

Mr Corbell talked of wide-ranging services. Yes, so they should be. Taxpayers need to have their money spent wisely.

It is interesting to note that there was no mention as well of Oaks Estate. What is happening for the often-forgotten people of Oaks Estate? What about the services there? What has the government done, as it promised before the last election, to up the ante? I know that they have had meetings. I was involved in 2001 with a group out there. What is actually happening out there now? I can just see it now: people will scurry around to see what they have done and should do for the residents of Oaks Estate. I can see the media releases being brought out as we speak.

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