Page 2893 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 16 October 2007
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But, Mr Speaker, there is more; there is more than just the investment in education. There is the investment in skills—the establishment of the Skills Commission to address the fundamental challenges our economy faces because of the skills shortage, because of a strong economy, because of the demand for more and more skills. We are spending over $7.6 million in recurrent funding and $1 million in capital funding for vocational education and training programs to address skill shortages in our community. We recognise that local businesses need the government’s support to find the skills and the skilled people they need to help their businesses grow. We are making the investment, Mr Speaker.
But, of course, there is still more. The government will spend over $288.7 million to invest in building and improving a whole range of infrastructure that Canberrans rely on every day—roads, bridges, health facilities and public housing. It is worth, I think, noting in particular the area of health. This government has made funding of the health services a priority, and we have invested considerably in improving the capacity of our health services to deliver the services community needs. For example, over $16 million over the next four years will be spent to increase support for young people and adults with serious intellectual and physical disabilities. In addition, there will be $12.6 million over four years to improve mental health services and $12.6 million for 20 additional acute care beds at the Canberra Hospital as well as a significant investment of over $3.5 million to design dedicated mental health facilities at the Canberra Hospital.
Mr Speaker, this is not the record and the commitment of a government that has lost its way; this is the record and commitment of a government which is making the long-term investment for the Canberra community, that is prepared to take difficult decisions to get our finances on a strong footing, but then to spend the return on those difficult decisions in the key human resource and human service areas that our community expects—health, schools, public hospitals, roads, the key things that matter for Canberrans.
But, Mr Speaker, we are not just doing that work. We are also focusing on the key challenges that our city faces overall—things such as climate change, the most fundamental challenge facing all established human settlements in terms of our future long-term viability. We are spending more than $7.5 million to tackle a whole range of climate change associated initiatives. These include things such as installing green power on ACT government buildings and establishing a perpetual green bank to reduce energy use by ACT government departments. We are tackling issues around sustainability and security of our long-term water supply. Detailed work continues to be done to identify the most sensible and the most effective means of securing our water supply into the long term.
These are the signs of a government that is getting on with the job. These are the signs of a government that is taking the territory forward. And the challenge for those opposite, Mr Speaker, is to say on all of the areas I have just listed what they would do. They have been in opposition now for over four years, and they have squandered the opportunity. Where are their policies? Where is their commitment to tackling climate change? Where are their policies on public health services? Where are their
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