Page 986 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 17 March 2010

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video


MS BRESNAN: A supplementary.

MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Bresnan.

MS BRESNAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Will the LDA be promoting the energy rating of each block as calculated by ACTPLA’s residential subdivision development code?

MR STANHOPE: Thank you, Ms Bresnan. I can answer the question broadly. The LDA will, in everything it does, accord with all government decisions and policies in relation to its development activity and any construction activity that it may be involved in. The LDA does, and will continue to, abide by all laws, codes and regulations and seeks, aspires, to represent best practice in construction in the ACT.

Business—Sensis business index

MR SMYTH: My question is to the Treasurer and it relates to government bungles and the Sensis business index, which shows that small and medium business confidence in the ACT government has plummeted to a net negative 21 per cent. Treasurer, why have SMEs lost so much confidence in the ACT government since November? Is it because of the bungled refurbishment of local shops, bungled infrastructure projects, such as the GDE, bungled infrastructure planning, lack of support for businesses at Gungahlin town centre, lack of support for small and medium businesses in Tuggeranong? If it is not for any of these reasons, what are the reasons for their lack of faith in your budget?

MS GALLAGHER: Thank you, Mr Smyth, for the question. I have not actually seen that survey but I will have a look at it and see. But that is certainly not the feedback that I am getting from the business community across Canberra.

Mr Seselja: So Sensis has got it wrong?

MS GALLAGHER: I will have a look at the survey, but what I am telling you is that that is not the feedback that we are getting from the business community across the ACT. In fact, we have had the situation in the last few months where members of industry have asked us to hold back on some of the work that we are pushing out the door because they are so busy.

It also does not reflect in the state final demand figures or, indeed, in the ratings in terms of how we are measuring our economic growth against other jurisdictions across Australia, which would actually say that our economy is performing very well. When our economy is performing very well, business is usually doing very well. So that is not the feedback we have been getting.

We consult very closely with business. Indeed, I am consulting with them as we put the budget together. They would always like more from government. I understand that, just as the community says it does, just as every part of the community wants more from government. But for government it is a balancing act about what we can do


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video