Page 1694 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 4 June 2014
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This ACT government understands responsible economic management and includes a respect for the hopes and dreams of our community, not a blind belief in the hopes and dreams of right-wing think tanks. We believe developing the policies of government includes listening to the community, getting out and doorknocking. To the federal Treasurer, Joe Hockey, and the Liberal government, it seems doorknocking is just the next conservative lobby group coming to call.
Our budget is about a belief in Canberrans and our ability to overcome the damage inflicted by the federal Liberal government. This federal government is taking $375 million out of our economy over four years and the ACT budget because of their cuts. Another 6½ thousand Australian public service jobs in Canberra are estimated to be lost in the next four years due to the cuts.
We know that other cities facing such a scale of job losses have received a federal financial lifeline in some form to ease the transition. There is no assistance offered to Canberra due to the federal Liberal government’s cuts. It is no wonder, then, that the Canberra Liberals have the distinction of being the most unsuccessful Liberal branch in Australia. Now is not the time for a hair-shirt austerity budget from the ACT government. Everybody knows that. And we kept hearing it time and again from our community in the last day.
Obviously the ACT government can only do so much to maintain our economy and maintain confidence while plotting a course back to a balanced budget in a few years time. We have a diverse, mixed economy. We are investing in public services, especially in health and education, and in the private sector through infrastructure projects that will generate jobs and maintain the momentum of our economy.
Our budget includes record funding for health, community services and education. We have covered the commonwealth’s cuts to our health budget worth around $248 million and have increased spending. This increase funds 31 new hospital beds, 500 extra elective surgery procedures a year, more staff and services at the Belconnen and Tuggeranong community health services and extra health services for women and children.
We are investing $1.1 billion in education and training, including $9.2 million for digital technology in our schools, a major new CIT campus in Tuggeranong, upgrades to childcare centres and the construction of the new Coombs school. We are investing $2.5 billion over the next four years in new infrastructure, stimulating the private sector when it is most needed. It is also at a time of low interest rates while we have low debt levels and a strong credit rating.
Our infrastructure projects include the University of Canberra public hospital, the capital metro light rail, the Australia Forum convention centre, the city to the lake project, the Calvary hospital car park, the redevelopment of Woden bus interchange, new accommodation in the Alexander Maconochie Centre and the new court facilities.
We are spending more than $45 million on new roads and road maintenance. There are some very important road projects but I am especially pleased that we will be
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