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State Budget - Motion to be Accorded Priority |
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Wednesday, 17 June 2009 |
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Mr MIKE BAIRD (Manly) [3.22 p.m.]: Earlier I gave notice of my motion that reveals the truth about the budget that was delivered this week. We need to start with that well-known economic commentator and former member of the New South Wales Parliament and Treasurer, Michael Costa. What did he say? He attacked the budget handed down by his successor Eric Roozendaal and suggested it is over-ambitious. He said reforms to the public sector are just a stunt. He also said that Nathan Rees declared his first State budget a winner. Mr Costa raised doubts. There are some very ambitious figures, particularly in terms of controlling expenses. He is also critical of the Government's plan to amalgamate 160 State agencies into 13 super departments. The Government has said this measure is the largest public sector reform in 30 years, but Mr Costa says it is just a stunt.
That sums up this budget. The problems that we are facing today are evident for everyone to see. When Eric Roozendaal handed down the budget he said that the Government will undertake a disciplined savings program that will turn this State around and take it back to black. Within 24 hours this Government, whose reputation is built on glossy brochures, advertised on radio and television that it is doing a fantastic job. The Government's advertising sounds very much like a script from The Hollowmen. These are the Hollowmen in action. The new logo on the budget papers is fantastic and everyone loves it. The Government forgot to put a logo on the document but the Hollowmen came to its assistance. The Government has to tell everyone about what a fantastic job it is doing because if it talks about jobs and stimulus people might start believing it. The people of New South Wales are on to the Government. So much for a budget that was supposed to rein in expenditure. The Government has forecast that expenditure growth will be 7.6 per cent in 2009-10 and will come down to 2.8 per cent between 2010 and 2012. The Government knows it will not achieve that forecast, which is a problem for everyone in this State. The underlying deficit in this State is sitting at $8 billion. If the Federal Government's money is taken out, New South Wales is $8 billion in deficit, and we have to rely on this Government to bring this State back to black. How will the Government do that and implement a savings program when, on day one, it starts to spend? That is how the Government implements savings programs—it starts to spend.
It is time for something different in this State. It is time we started to see a vision. It is certainly time that we started to see promises delivered. Today we heard the new vision of Leader of the Opposition. He said that infrastructure in this State needs to be delivered. Where are the hospitals in the north-west, Wagga Wagga, and on the Northern Beaches? Where is the North-West Metro? Where is the south-west rail link at Camden? Every person in this State knows of a piece of infrastructure that has not been delivered. The Leader of the Opposition outlined a vision that for once will deliver projects. Members of the Government know that the Leader of the Opposition has put together a plan in Infrastructure NSW that will identify public infrastructure needs. It will establish priorities or recommend time lines for delivery. It will advise on project procurement, contractual arrangements, best practice, delivery and funding modes. It will ensure the Government is armed with the necessary information to re-energise and deliver the State's infrastructure program. The people of this State have waited for too long for infrastructure to be delivered. The Leader of the Opposition has a plan that will start to get this State moving again. When the Government has an opportunity to help businesses, it does not listen if it does not understand. The Sensis Business Confidence Index states that for the twenty-first quarter in a row New South Wales has ranked last. If a business wants to employ people and invest it must have confidence. Sensis said that the reason that this State is last, and that it has no confidence in this Government, is payroll tax—taxes are killing businesses and costing jobs. A budget that is supposed to deliver jobs does the exact opposite and the Government starts to spend. The Premier needs to listen to the Leader of the Opposition, who understands that infrastructure needs to be delivered and businesses need to be assisted. That is how the State will start to move again.
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