Legislative Assembly

15145 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Monday 25 June 2001 ______ Mr Speaker (The Hon. John Henry Murray) took the chair at 10.00 a.m. Mr Speaker offered the Prayer. APPROPRIATION BILL APPROPRIATION (PARLIAMENT) BILL APPROPRIATION (SPECIAL OFFICES) BILL INSURANCE PROTECTION TAX BILL STATE REVENUE LEGISLATION FURTHER AMENDMENT BILL Second Reading Debate resumed from 22 June. Mr CAMPBELL (Keira) [10.00 a.m.]: After looking in some detail at the various documents that make up the appropriation bills for 2001-02, I indicate my support for the bills and for the budget that the budget papers comprise. As the Treasurer said in his opening comments in delivering the budget in this place: The Budget is socially responsive and financially responsible. In a difficult and turbulent economic period, the budget sets out plans to continue to enhance the fundamental human services of health, education, community services and law enforcement while at the same time allocating $577 million in capital expenditure for State asset acquisition—an increase of 11.5 per cent. Significantly and importantly, the record $5.581 billion capital expenditure allocation aims to sustain 85,000 direct and indirect jobs. The strategic nature of this budget in employment, education, transport, health and information technology demonstrates a Government that is committed to providing services and opportunity to families across the State. The budget's focus on rebuilding the State's education infrastructure is great news. The provision of new schools and expanded technical and further education campuses is fundamental. However, the strategy of upgrading older facilities within an expanded maintenance program will be particularly welcomed by parents, students and teachers alike. The task is massive but it is getting off to a good start with the allocations in these bills. The budget supports the education of our children in more ways than simply the provision of building infrastructure. There is a particular focus on supporting students with behavioural problems with additional teachers, teachers aides, district level guidance officers and mentoring programs. Judging from my discussions with teachers in recent months, I am confident that they will support an attempt to encourage these students and to provide a circuit breaker for other students. This policy area of supporting individual students and school communities where behavioural problems are disrupting the school's program requires continued focus and innovation. I have come to appreciate that this is a significant area where government and departmental management must work co-operatively with teachers. The other exciting area of education policy is the announcement that $21.6 million will be spent establishing e-learning accounts for each student and teacher to give access to email and the Internet. Every bit of this initiative is in the best traditions of Labor in encouraging equality of access to these exciting tools of learning. The e-learning accounts, together with the replacement of 90,000 computers and the provision of 25,000 additional computers and supported by the $10 million Technology in Learning and Teaching program, will set the scene for the introduction of computer skills assessment for students in years 6 and 10. A sound grounding in information technology and computing skills in this day and age is a sound grounding for employment and further learning. I applaud the record $7.6 billion budget allocation for education and training. I applaud equally the huge allocation in the budget—some $8.2 billion—for health generally. These record funds, when viewed as a package together with the three-year funding cycle previously announced by the Minister and the sensible restructuring announced in the doctors and nurses metropolitan health plan, should 15146 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 25 June 2001 give confidence that the ever-increasing demands on health can be managed effectively. I acknowledge that the changes to the electricity and gas rebates will benefit pensioners and I note particularly the Treasurer's comment in his Budget Speech that "no pensioner will be worse off". With expenditure increasing to $67.5 million, there is a clear Government commitment to this fundamental support for older families. The changes to financial institutions duty taxes, although flagged previously, are certainly welcome. However, the surprise announcement in the budget that this New South Wales Labor Government will lead the way by abolishing the bank accounts debit tax early is even more welcome. I echo the Treasurer's call that the Prime Minister promptly follow that leadership and ensure that New South Wales is not adversely affected as a result. These two tax changes, along with the increased rebate for pensioners, have been warmly welcomed by many of the families whom I represent in this place. They know that these initiatives are real tax cuts that will give them modest amounts of extra spending money. A number of families whom I represent have been hit particularly hard by the collapse of HIH Insurance. People are distressed that a shonky builder and a shonky insurer have conspired to delay the completion of their dream homes, families are facing huge medical bills because FAI failed to pay its accounts, and small businesses are unable to trade because insurance was not available to them. The recent months have been difficult. However, people have appreciated the leadership shown by the New South Wales Treasurer, the Premier and the Minister for Fair Trading. That is why I support so confidently the Insurance Protection Tax Bill, which is a cognate bill. This bill gives effect to the Government's well-considered plan to help people who were let down so badly by some of the captains of industry in the HIH debacle. This represents consumer protection in the best traditions of Australian Labor Party governments. I find it particularly interesting that the Leader of the Opposition, the Leader of the National Party and the shadow Treasurer did not bother to mention this important initiative when they spoke in this debate. New South Wales families can only wonder about how the leaders of the supposed alternative government have no contribution to make to this discussion. The families, shareholders and small businesses so badly shaken by the HIH debacle must be shaking their heads in bewilderment and saying, "Thank heavens for a Labor Government." I shall be a little parochial and talk about the commitments in this budget for the area that I represent. There is direct investment in restructuring the Illawarra economy to stimulate jobs growth. Some $5.3 million has been allocated for infrastructure works in the port of Port Kembla and $10.5 million has been directed as a community service obligation to support the southern and western coalfields access to the Port Kembla coal terminal. Some $3 million of the $10 million Illawarra Advantage Fund has been allocated and there is continued funding within the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning portfolio for the Shaping Illawarra project and the Living Centres program. Both of these programs aim to secure employment investment. The $500,000 Regional Filming Fund and the new $600,000 Film Industry Attraction Fund will be available to Film Illawarra as it pursues its charter of attracting film production to the region. Film Illawarra is an initiative of the faculty of creative arts at the University of Wollongong, which for the past two years has been recognised nationally as the University of the Year. Transport infrastructure investment is supported to the tune of $104 million on roads. Health expenditure will increase by 7.5 per cent to $246.3 million, with $34.7 million to be spent on capital projects such as the refurbishment of Coledale District Hospital and the continued rebuilding of Wollongong Hospital. There is $7.9 million in major capital spending on education and training facilities, and I have no doubt that there will be additional funding when minor capital works programs are announced. As those programs unfold, I will be looking for funding for improved teaching space at the Wollongong High School and for the performing arts. I will be looking to see the Corrimal primary and infant schools consolidated on one site, and I particularly hope to see some funding for improved security measures at Corrimal High School and reconstruction of the kitchen facilities at Woonona High School. I hope to see those projects funded under the minor capital works program that is to be announced. The $26.4 million that has been allocated to improve and replace public housing stock across the region will be well spent and well received by tenants and their families. The $58.9 million to be spent by the Department of Community Services on disability services will make life easier for many families and individuals. The four additional case workers at the office of the Corrimal Department of Community Services will certainly be welcome. As a long-time advocate of the contribution made by the arts to the development and cohesion of communities, I am delighted that there is a $100,000 budgetary allocation for the arts portfolio in the Illawarra area. I conclude by quoting from the editorial of the Illawarra Mercury on Wednesday 30 May 2001, which stated in part: 25 June 2001 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 15147 If you had to single out two areas of expansion in government spending in the Illawarra and South Coast, Health and Education would come out on top. So, on balance, we can feel reasonably comfortable with the region's allocation in yesterday's State Budget. The editorial went on to state: Overall, it is a reasonable and responsible Budget, remarkable because it is the sixth successive surplus Budget the Carr Government has delivered—and this after the state had to carry the enormous cost of the Olympic Games.

Load more