|
Infrastructure Projects and Jobs |
|
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 |
|
Mr MIKE BAIRD (Manly) [3.46 p.m.]: What a day this is for the Rees Labor Government! Earlier today I gave notice of a motion to be accorded priority because the infrastructure approach, the mini-budget and expense management has brought the finances of this State to its knees. The way the Government has managed infrastructure reminds us of the fable about the boy who cries wolf. For the past 13 or 14 years all we have heard is infrastructure, infrastructure and infrastructure but what has been delivered? Nothing whatsoever. The Government has made grand announcements, and run advertising campaigns—again an expense that could be cut—but the latest is the cancellation of a press conference that the Government could not afford, did not cost and did not know anything about. The North West Metro could not be a better example: it is a different script with the same players. The penny has finally dropped for the Premier of this State, Nathan Rees—Graeme Wedderburn and the Minister for Finance must have been in the discussion—that when unemployment is on the rise the community is concerned about jobs. The Government has finally understood that that will have an impact on families across this State. What has the Government said? It has tried to put jobs into every announcement it has made. It needs to talk about jobs. Members of the House did not hear that in relation to the mini-budget and they had not heard it before. All of a sudden the Government is talking about jobs when New South Wales has the worst unemployment rate in the country at 5.8 per cent. What has New South Wales done as the financial crisis has impacted on jobs? The spectacular contribution of the Premier is to announce his first public policy document and his economic credentials. In February 2009 the Premier said after and about the mini-budget, "If we'd known then what we know now we would have done things differently", despite Kevin Rudd saying almost a month before the mini-budget, "Make no mistake, this is the single greatest threat to our economic security in a generation." Every economic commentator knew, even Kevin Rudd, but the Premier and Eric Roozendaal oversaw a mini-budget that cut infrastructure. In the new popcorn speak of the Premier it means he cut jobs in this State. The Premier raised taxes and charges on families and businesses across this State. Quite frankly, they have their heads in the sand.
Only yesterday the Government sought $1.4 billion to prop up its budget for unforeseen expenses. They introduced legislation into this House. Expense management has been an embarrassing problem for the Premier. He has attacked members of the Opposition about fiscal management but he did not know that his Treasurer is trying to implement the same policy. The Premier should introduce himself to his Treasurer. What does the Treasurer say? The Treasurer said in Parliament, "We need to rein in expenses. There are no two ways about it". "The Government in the mini-budget is trying to align expenditure and revenue which, of course, is the appropriate strategy for New South Wales to meet the challenges of the future." He then said, "The Rees Government is committed to aligning revenue and expenditure, and ensuring that it makes the right decisions to protect the New South Wales economy."
Ms Cherie Burton: But that is our policy.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: Well, that is exactly why they have been attacking us. Nathan Rees and Joe Tripodi, hang your heads in shame.
Ms Cherie Burton: Point of order: We have been sitting here listening for sometime and we still do not understand why this motion should get priority.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: You weren't listening.
Ms Cherie Burton: No, you're not making any sense.
ACTING-SPEAKER (Ms Diane Beamer): Order! I am sure that the member for Manly will address the House as to why his motion should be accorded priority.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: It is very important because if you can control expenses and deliver infrastructure you start to create jobs in the State and get the economy moving. That is why it is a priority. I do not like to talk positively about Eric Roozendaal, but I have to. The poor Treasurer gets a hard time from his own side—they give him a hard time—but he has this one absolutely right. Why does not the Premier go to the upper House, introduce himself to the Treasurer and say, "Explain to me what you're talking about because I have spent a week attacking this in the Parliament".
Ms Cherie Burton: Point of order: Still he is raving on about going to the other place. What has this got to do with why his motion should get priority? There is no relevance at all.
ACTING-SPEAKER (Ms Diane Beamer): Order! I am sure that the member for Manly will draw the attention of the House to why his motion should be accorded priority.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: The expense problem in this State has been identified by Standard and Poor's, by the Stokes and Vertigan report introduced by Morris Iemma, and by John Pierce, the Treasury Secretary, asking the Government to rein in expenses, and deliver infrastructure and jobs in this State.
|
