Page 713 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 17 March 2015

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the needs of women and children facing domestic violence. I am particularly pleased today that this Assembly is supporting that call as well. It will add further support to and pressure on the commonwealth to revisit its funding decision. It is right that the Prime Minister says that domestic violence should be a national priority, but it is wrong for the federal government to then reduce funding to those services that have a direct impact on and make a direct contribution to supporting the victims of those violent crimes.

I thank members for their support today. I thank them for unanimously joining with me in making this call. I look forward to this ongoing discussion in our community.

Motion agreed to.

Sitting suspended from 12.30 to 2.30 pm.

Questions without notice

Government—debt

MR HANSON: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister and Treasurer. Treasurer, I refer to a recent Auditor-General’s report on debt management, which found:

The ACT Government has not taken the opportunity to determine the best arrangements for debt management across ACT Government entities. In 2007, the then Chief Minister announced a review of debt management, but there is no evidence that it was progressed.

Why hasn’t the government taken the opportunity to determine the best arrangements for debt management across ACT government entities?

MR BARR: I think various areas of the ACT government have taken some issue with elements of the Auditor-General’s findings. Nonetheless, we will take that on the chin and we will respond accordingly.

MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Hanson.

MR HANSON: Right. I do not hold out much hope then, given that answer. Treasurer, what strategy does the government have to reduce our record debt and record deficit?

MR BARR: I think the Leader of the Opposition might be conflating issues of moneys owed to the territory government by debtors with the position that all Australian governments are finding themselves in, where revenue has not been growing as strongly as we would hope—

Mr Hanson interjecting—

MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Mr Hanson!


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