Page 1251 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 9 April 2008

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technology, space sciences, biotechnology, public administration, environment industries, creative industries, sports science administrations, education and defence.

What are we asking for in this motion? We are asking for the government to report back to the ACT community on the action that has been taken to expand the base. Given the questions and the answers of the last two days, the answer to that is clearly nothing. The motion then asks that the Chief Minister provide the Assembly with a strategy that is being implemented for each of the nine priority industries. I doubt that that will come, because there is no strategy. But give the Chief Minister a chance. He can jump up next sitting day and tell us what that will be. We would even give him leave!

The motion then calls on the Stanhope government to set out the strategy that is being followed to strengthen the role of the private sector in the ACT. We would be delighted to hear that, because there is no such strategy. Paragraph (2) (d) of the motion calls on the government to restore funding for business and tourism. It is quite clear that this is now set up so that this can be announced in the budget. They will be ideas found in the budget. It will be like a flash of lighting. We need that funding, because it is important. The country and the world are laughing at us because our government does not give support to businesses that want to grow in the ACT. Finally, I would like a list provided—(Time expired.)

At 6.00 pm, in accordance with standing order 34, the debate was interrupted and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for the next sitting. The motion for the adjournment of the Assembly was put.

Adjournment

Hon John Button

MS MacDONALD (Brindabella) (6.00): I want to rise this evening to pay tribute to and recognise the life of John Button. In the last two days, much has been said and written about John Button’s role in reforming the Victorian ALP and therefore assisting the Whitlam government to get elected in 1972, his role in convincing Bill Hayden to step aside for Bob Hawke and how that assisted in the election of the Hawke and Keating governments, and his very big role in reforming industry in this country.

I specifically want to recognise the role model that John Button can be for all parliamentarians. In the main, he was a gentleman when it came to his behaviour within the Senate. And I believe—I think much has been said about this in the last few days—that he was an honest politician. He was probably honest to a fault; he was often too honest with his cabinet colleagues.

Mr Barr: And the media.

MS MacDONALD: And the media. I note that they have been playing the quote upon his retirement about how he missed some of the journalists and would not miss the rest of them if he had a gun in his hand.


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