Page 3852 - Week 12 - Thursday, 23 November 2006
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Mrs Burke: An admission.
MR BARR: We probably did. But the point is, though, that given the structural asset base that this territory is seeking to operate off, given the level of taxation, given the level of resources that the government—it does not matter whether it is Labor or Liberal—can bring to meet those needs, there are always going to be areas that are stretched.
The point I am seeking to make in this debate overall is that what we see—be it in schools, be it in libraries—is a question of quality versus quantity. That is the issue that we need to confront, Mr Speaker, in this debate. No-one likes to have to be confronted with decisions that require the closure of certain services. We have a choice. We can determine that there will never be an expansion of service in any other area, that we will not seek to build new facilities, that we will just sit on the services we have got and gradually watch them age, watch those assets and infrastructure decay over time. We can decide never to seek to provide new services. That is effectively one choice we have—be it with schools, libraries or a whole range of government services.
The other option, of course, is to seek to raise more revenue. Those opposite have sought to oppose virtually every means of raising additional revenue. The crux of this debate overall, though, is that if we are going to want to maintain the level of services significantly above that of other jurisdictions, then we will have to raise revenue significantly above that of other jurisdictions. This is the truth—the inconvenient truth, might I say—that some opposite are not particularly interested in. Whilst Mr Mulcahy talks at length about the need for financial management and for responsible budgeting, those opposite have opposed every specific measure to return the budget to balance—every measure.
Mrs Dunne: Who took it out of balance?
MR SPEAKER: Order!
Opposition members interjecting—
MR BARR: Mr Speaker, yes, and it is clear that it has been reported in various budget papers—
Mr Pratt: Who forgot to bank the money?
MR SPEAKER: I warn you, Mr Pratt.
MR BARR: Yes, on a GFS basis the budget was in deficit and we need to address that. Yes, we do, but those opposite seek to oppose every measure by which you would do that. Those opposite might seek to point to their experience in government when I think they sought to bring the budget into balance by driving wages down, by reaching a point where the ACT public service—teachers, nurses and other public servants—were an entire pay level below that of the commonwealth. This resulted in a very serious situation for the territory in terms of being able to recruit quality staff.
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