Page 3695 - Week 08 - Thursday, 19 August 2010
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Madam Deputy Speaker, we thank you for bringing on this matter, although it is rather leading with the chin, with the record that this government has. Thank you for bringing this matter of public importance to this Assembly.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Planning, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation and Minister for Gaming and Racing) (5.03): It is always a pleasure to rise in an economic debate in the Assembly, particularly after a telling contribution from Mr Doszpot. He seems to indicate a somewhat bipolar economic position within the Canberra Liberals. We had 10 minutes, or nine minutes anyway, of hairy-chested neoclassical economic theory, as espoused by a staff member on the first floor—that was fairly apparent in the delivery, and I do not think Mr Doszpot entirely believed everything he just told us. It did contrast markedly with the almost Keynesian speech of Mr Smyth—I do not think we can go quite that far; he was perhaps dipping his toe into a bit of new Keynesian economics.
But there was this little element of difference between the frontbench and the backbench of the Canberra Liberals over when it might be appropriate for a level of government intervention in the economy. It would appear that those on the first floor in the Canberra Liberals are all for a certain level of government intervention under the guise of diversifying the economy. It is all right for the government to significantly invest in areas that might perhaps favour the Liberal Party constituency or might be seen under some criteria as diversifying the economy, yet public expenditure in other areas, such as the investment in education through the building the education revolution program, is thought of differently.
I am now aware that Mr Doszpot and Mr Coe are more familiar with the application of those commonwealth funds within the ACT—and I am sure, from all the feedback from Senator Lundy and others who were able to attend in particular the launch on Wednesday, that it was indeed a good event and the particular school in question in the Tuggeranong Valley was able to put that money that was provided—
Mr Doszpot: Say it—the Trinity Christian school, Andrew.
MR BARR: The Trinity Christian school in the Tuggeranong Valley was then able to provide—
Mr Doszpot: And why weren’t you there? Why don’t you even turn up to any of the Christian school activities?
MR BARR: It was then able to provide—
Mr Doszpot: Why don’t you turn up?
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Doszpot!
MR BARR: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Indeed, the Trinity Christian school, together with all schools in the ACT, government and non-government, were most
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