Page 149 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 26 February 2014
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New health infrastructure is being staffed by a growing health workforce. Some examples of the jobs that flow on from the 2013-14 budget decision include 38 full-time equivalents at Calvary and Canberra hospitals to staff the new inpatient beds, 17 more staff for the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, 18 staff for enhanced services at the Belconnen health and walk-in centre, the expansion of emergency medicine and rapid assessment in the emergency department with an additional 15 staff, and eight additional staff to deal with the growth in outpatient services.
Just as the health infrastructure program is vital to meeting the future demands of the health system, it is also providing an important pillar of support for the economy as it is delivered. As the economic effects of the federal contraction flow through the ACT, we will continue to be proactive in our efforts to protect local jobs. The government has reviewed the stimulus measures around commence and complete fees and lease variation charges and we will announce our intentions on that soon.
We have already brought other measures forward—for example, the framework to boost private sector investment, which has been led by the Treasurer and announced by him last week. Diversification also remains a central objective, including growth in the digital economy. In the $76 million sale of Lithicon, we have seen what our local entrepreneurs are capable of creating.
We are already the lowest taxing jurisdiction in Australia for small business with the payroll tax threshold. As our digital strategy continues to roll out, we are looking to create the conditions for more innovation and business growth in line with the business diversification strategy—for example, with the mobile Canberra app, the free public wi-fi that we are currently working on, pursuing innovation in government interactions with our customers and with business, with our investment in NICTA and with some of the highly successful business development programs.
I think that over the next couple of years it is going to be a pretty challenging time for Canberra. Everyone in the Assembly should be united in our efforts to support the Canberra economy and spare our community the cost of widespread joblessness. We are realistic about the forces which are affecting our economy but, from the ACT government’s point of view, we will do whatever we can to protect local jobs and support the economy through what will be a pretty challenging time.
In relation to some of our discussions with the federal government, we will be continuing those. One of the outcomes from the meeting with Minister Briggs last week was to reconvene after the federal budget. I think it is very difficult, in the last few months of uncertainty about what the budget is going to bring. I think once we can see the budget and what the plans are for Canberra as they are outlined in that budget then we will be in a better position to respond. It will be important that we keep that dialogue up with the commonwealth government.
I would hope that we would have broad Assembly support for our efforts in making sure that the federal coalition government understands that Canberra is just the same as everywhere else—full of families who are working hard to pay off their mortgage and bring up their kids, just as they are in other parts of Australia. We should not be seen as anything different from that. Where those communities look to the federal
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