Page 2249 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 5 June 2013
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Mr Hanson interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, do not interject.
MR BARR: Now you are in the position of Leader of the Opposition, you have a responsibility—
Mr Hanson: Madam Speaker, on a point of order, you have already ruled under standing order 42 that the minister should be addressing you. He is continuing to ignore that ruling and is addressing me, and I am simply responding to that. I ask that the minister adhere to standing order 42 and address the chair.
MADAM SPEAKER: Irrespective of whether Mr Barr flouts standing order 42, which he has been doing, it does not give you licence to interject. Mr Barr, I remind you of the provisions of standing order 42.
MR BARR: Madam Speaker, the challenge for the Leader of the Opposition is to state an alternative position and to explain to everyone how he would fund that position. I do not think it is unreasonable to ask the Leader of the Opposition to undertake such a task tomorrow. I am not expecting it today; I am expecting the usual array of recycled speeches, cliches and Jeremy Hanson’s greatest hits. I am sure we will get that today; you can almost predict his speech now. It is exactly what we have heard before and what I am sure we will hear ad nauseam over the next four years.
Mr Hanson: He is obsessing about me, isn’t he? Is he nervous?
MR BARR: Not particularly. I really do not spend too much time worrying about what you say about anything, Mr Hanson. I am seeking to work, as I have indicated this morning to the Canberra Business Council, with people who are interested in the future of this city and who are prepared to work constructively in order to advance our economy and opportunities for people in Canberra. I must say that the response from the wide variety of stakeholders and organisations to the initiatives announced in this budget has been very positive. We certainly look forward to working in partnership with the various industry associations, community sector organisations and people of good heart and good mind who have the courage to work constructively to see this city through what could be very difficult times if Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey take the axe to the public service and our economy.
It is very clear that there is goodwill across a number of organisations in the ACT to work collaboratively with the territory government to see us through these difficult times. I think there is one organisation that will not work constructively—and that is the Canberra Liberals.
MS PORTER (Ginninderra) (10.49): I welcome the opportunity to speak on this most important topic, and I thank my colleague Ms Berry for bringing it to the Assembly.
As expected, this is a true Labor budget that has responded to the needs of a transforming city, and I am delighted to stand in this place and highlight how it will
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