Ms ELLIS(7.39 p.m.) —I rise in this place tonight to express the concerns of the people of Namadgi and, hence, the people of the Australian Capital Territory. The effects of this government's policies in relation to the public sector are proving disastrous for this territory. Of course, it is not only the ACT that is suffering or that will suffer from this. Service delivery and the type of society we want in this country—all of that—are under threat. But, given today's rally by the Public Sector Union outside this place and given that my electorate is in this territory, I want to specifically address the local implications.

The effect of these policies on Canberra is dramatic. Forty-eight per cent of our work force is employed in the public sector. That is quite understandable, because Canberra is the national capital. It is the seat of government. We need to continue to remind ourselves of that.

Much has been said by those opposite and their supporters about how we, in putting these facts forward, are talking down Canberra. Nothing could be further from the truth. To say that is to shoot the messenger. The people of the ACT are extremely worried. They are scared and they have little faith in the future. Frankly, most of them today do not know whether they will have a job tomorrow.

There is a rather prophetic joke going around this town at the moment and it is this: what is the definition of optimism? A public servant who irons five shirts—or could I say five blouses—on a Sunday night. Their concern is really understandable and should not be disregarded. This government said again and again in the recent election campaign that only 2,500 jobs would be lost through natural attrition—no more—no matter what.

During the recent election campaign the former liberal member for Canberra went around this town not only promising a limit on the job cuts but also giving misleading promises and saying that our unemployed youth would have increased opportunity for employment in the public sector. How deceitful—and it is such a vulnerable group to mislead. But he was only saying what he was told to say. I do not really think he believed that propaganda at all.

What is going to happen to the young people in the ACT? With the local Liberal government instituting a recruitment freeze and holding to that recruitment freeze in their public sector and the federal Liberal govern ment cutting jobs and cutting back spending in the IT industry, where are the jobs going to come from? The private sector in the ACT is simply not able to employ all these new job seekers overnight, no matter how genuine their efforts.

It would be a very sad day for this city if our kids and families had to start thinking about leaving in order to maintain some sort of economic and employment future. Already in excess of 10,000 job cuts across the public sector have been announced and this is before the Audit Commission reports, before the budget and before the Industry Commission's recommendations on privatising and contracting out are announced and enacted. And you wonder why the ACT community is reacting the way it is! Believe me, any trust, any honesty that the other side was claiming can be forgotten. You can give it away. Your gross dishonesty is absolute.

The Prime Minister (Mr Howard) came in here today and told us in the ACT to calm down, telling us of the successful meeting he had today with the ACT Liberal Chief Minister and ACT business leaders. `Everything will be okay,' he said. How dare he! Why is it then that the business community is taking out full-page ads in the Canberra Times in an attempt to encourage confidence—something I congratulate them for and wish them well with? We in this town have to collectively do all we can in the ACT to counter this government's attack on and disregard for our local community.