Page 250 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 10 December 2008
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I also welcome the fact that this is a person-based model and not a model that groups people as homogenous groups but deals with people as individuals and looks at their total life chances and builds on those. So I am really pleased that this model is going ahead. I thank members today for their positive response.
We have just seen the Pacific Games here. I note that numbers of young people that participated in the Pacific Games were young people with disabilities. So we need to make sure that we have access to participation in all aspects of our lives. So thank you very much, members, for your support and all your ideas. I commend this motion to the Assembly.
Motion agreed to.
Economy—outlook
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (5.19): I move:
That this Assembly:
(1) notes:
(a) the failure of the Stanhope-Gallagher Government to recognise the changes that were taking place in the ACT and national economies during 2008;
(b) that the lack of appropriate action by the Stanhope Government will probably lead to the ACT Budget moving into deficit during 2008-09;
(c) that the Chief Minister promised, during the 2008 ACT election campaign, that a re-elected Labor Government will not take the budget into deficit; and
(d) that the Treasurer has subsequently stated “there is a very strong chance … the budget for next year will be in deficit”;
(2) regrets the failure of the Stanhope-Gallagher Government to use an additional $1.6 billion in additional revenue to either secure the future of the ACT economy or improve essential services for Canberrans; and
(3) condemns the Stanhope-Gallagher Government for its inaction in dealing with developments in the ACT economy.
The motion comes at a critical time for the ACT economy and for the ACT community because, if we are to deliver high-quality services and provide good infrastructure to the people of the ACT, it does depend on the strength of the economy and the ACT budget.
The global financial crisis has developed to an extent that I think no commentator anticipated. And this has necessitated a dramatic response from governments around the world. Global economies, both developed and developing, are now experiencing a slowdown of economic growth, with some in recession, such as Japan and probably
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