Page 2420 - Week 08 - Thursday, 6 June 2013
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meaning also a loss of eight jobs. To date, the Treasurer has not given any assurances or guidance on both these issues, because in fact the Treasurer put the ICRC process in place and has it delivering a week after his budget was delivered. You would be curious at the timing, wouldn’t you?
Of course, there is no economic planning. The government has squandered our wealth and opportunistically taxed families for only one thing: to fuel their uncontrolled spending. Mr Barr speaks regularly about diversifying our economy these days. The government did not for a long, long time. Yet in over 12 years they have done nothing more for job creation in the ACT than ride the wave of the public sector. Indeed, in 2006 they cut funds to tourism and business programs that created and grew jobs in the ACT.
It has taken them just as long to finally come up with an economic diversification strategy. I hate to burst the Treasurer’s bubble, but although he can think that he can in one year go from supporting Canberra’s economy to transforming it, you cannot diversify our economy overnight. A belated report with repackaged existing programs is not progress. It is an opportunity missed.
It comes as no surprise that since reaching an all-time high of 59 per cent under the Canberra Liberals, private sector employment has since consistently slipped below the public sector and is now at 49 per cent under ACT Labor. Then again, if you have a Treasurer who has been on the record as stating that he does not care where employment comes from, of course the easiest path is to do as Mr Barr has done, which is nothing.
Then, of course, we have got global connect, the “do nothing new program”. It is kind of ironic that in typical Barr spin, the Treasurer talks about a $1.5 million initiative for the global connect program pitched at helping local businesses export. Yet, when you look at the elements of this program—for example, the trade connect program, the ACT Exporters Network, the trade mission program, the ACT Chief Minister’s export awards and the ACT international student ambassador program—these are all initiatives that have been running for quite some time now.
Some had their genesis in old programs axed by ACT Labor in 2006. Never mind the fact that ACT Labor promised over $3 million over four years in the last election for this initiative but have only managed to find $1.5 million over the next couple of years. It is just one example of ACT Labor not understanding its brief as a government to foster a business-friendly economy and to create jobs.
There are more broken promises, Mr Assistant Speaker, and more deceit. Funding for Enlighten was promised at $5.4 million over four years in the last election. In this budget it is $3.6 million over three years. The tourism major events fund was meant to be $4 million over four years in the last election. In this budget, it is $2 million over two years. Funding for the international tourism market was $1.8 million over four years at the last election. In this budget, it is $500,000 for only 2013-14. I understand that at the breakfast yesterday there was one quip that that would buy a couple of page ads in Singapore and New Zealand and get you a massage. That is probably about all you will get, Mr Barr.
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