[Greens-Media] Canberra taken for granted

[Manderson, Roland]

---------------------------
ACT GREENS MLA DEB FOSKEY MEDIA RELEASE
---------------------------
 
Thurs 21 Feb 08


Canberra taken for granted

ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey has described the damaging cuts to the
national cultural institutions reported today as evidence of the
contempt for Canberra most politicians like to display, and the
consequence of being a safe Labor town.

"Canberra is seen as safe for Labor so it is - and always has been -
easy prey for governments wanting to look tough" Dr Foskey said today.

"While the Greens are on the same side as Liberal Senator Humphries on
this issue, if Kerrie Tucker had been elected in his place in November,
we might have been in a much stronger bargaining position."

"It is disappointing that Labor takes its three ACT seats so much for
granted. I suspect things won't change until they also come under the
level of pressure that Senator Humphries did last year."

"These expenditure cuts are driven by concerns about inflation pressure.
A pressure that is the result of years of poor policies from a Howard
government which forced up house prices, failed to invest in
infrastructure, and sought to buy votes with indiscriminate tax cuts and
subsidies." 

"Given the Howard Government was not particularly generous in funding
the National Library or Museum in any event, I am concerned at the
impact that Rudd's unnecessary cuts will have."

"Sadly, the city of Canberra has become the sacrificial lamb to a
hairy-chested Government locked into much grander, unaffordable, tax
promises."

"The ACT Government was always prepared to stand up to John Howard.
Let's see if it will stand up to Kevin Rudd as well." 

"I'm happy to give it a push in the Assembly, if that would help" Dr
Foskey said.


================================
Roland Manderson   Media Advisor
ACT   Greens    MLA  Deb  Foskey  
Legislative Assembly for the ACT 
ph(02)62050551      m 0412241379
==== www.act.greens.org.au ===== 
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This email, and any attachments, may be confidential and also privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and delete all copies of this transmission along with any attachments immediately. You should not copy or use it for any purpose, nor disclose its contents to any other person.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------