Page 1552 - Week 05 - Thursday, 11 May 2006
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
public trading enterprise sector result for the same period is a surplus of $49 million, with a total territory result of a surplus of $198 million—$198 million higher than expected.
The June quarter is traditionally a quarter in which government spending is high and it is obvious and certain that the final outcome for 2005-06 will not be as high as the $198 million surplus to date. Nevertheless, it is a very welcome outcome for the end of March and one that puts the lie to the theories generated by the Leader of the Opposition in the last few weeks in relation to the current state of the budget and the direction in which the financial position is headed. I need to reiterate that. For the last month we have had the Leader of the Opposition insisting, falsely—
Mr Smyth: Very tender, aren’t we?
MR STANHOPE: I am very tender in the face of a complete distortion of the truth. We have a Leader of the Opposition leading a party in this place who for one month has consistently misled the people of the Australian Capital Territory with claims, in the first instance, of a $190 million deterioration which then advanced to a $390 million deterioration which today we reveal is the mirror reverse of the exact situation. In fact, there has been a $198 million improvement.
The stark, revealed truth today, in the face of claims by the Leader of the Opposition and his front bench of a $390 million deterioration, is that there is an inevitable fifth consecutive budget surplus and an improvement in the budgetary position to the end of the March quarter of $198 million. I hope this puts the lie, once and for all, to the malicious, hysterical falsity of a position which the Leader of the Opposition has been putting around without a skerrick of truth.
Mr Smyth: Will you be tabling the report?
MR STANHOPE: I will be tabling the report in an hour’s time, which reveals the position as of the end of March. I repeat the point that this is the position at the end of March; and that, to some extent, it reflects very much what I have been saying in relation to our budgetary position.
MR SPEAKER: Order! The member’s time has expired.
MS PORTER: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Can the Chief Minister say if there is any indication of a figure of $390 million in the updated budget position? Does the figure have any significance for Mr Smyth?
MR STANHOPE: I think the primary significance for Mr Smyth of a number of the order of—
MR SPEAKER: I do not know whether you are the minister responsible for Mr Smyth.
MR STANHOPE: I will not go to that part of the question. The Liberal Party is responsible for Mr Smyth, and they will bear that responsibility heavily.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .