Page 1342 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 12 May 1993
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Indeed, people in Canberra want a Canberra city council. Let us look at the costs involved with the ACT State-like Government. In 1989 and 1988 Trevor Kaine and Rosemary Follett said, "Taxes will not rise under self-government". Was that true? No. We had a never ending increase in taxes, charges, fines, rates, fees and everything else that could increase the costs to people of living in Canberra. The Stamp Duties and Taxes Act increased taxes on business. The one per cent property tax increased taxes. What about the cuts to non-government schools? Before the election Bill Wood said:
The ALP will maintain all existing funding arrangements [until after the election].
I added the words "until after the election". The people in Canberra voted 59 per cent to 35 per cent not to reduce budget amounts for non-government schools. What about the police budget cuts? The people disagreed 81 per cent to 17 per cent. If ever there was a government role in our lives, it is to protect life, liberty and property. That is the role of policing. Yet the Government cut police budgetary requirements. They also closed the Royal Canberra Hospital. Yet over 80 per cent of people voted against that. We know that over 60,000 signatures were signed to save the Royal Canberra Hospital. The Government also closed schools.
Madam Speaker, it is clear that the costs for a State-like parliament and the infrastructure necessary for the upkeep of the national capital have been beyond the capacity of the local Assembly and the people of Canberra to pay for; hence the closure of our hospital and schools and the many tax increases. Surely the founding fathers never intended that the people who live in Canberra carry the financial burden of the capital. Indeed, when this State-like form of government is abolished we will save millions of dollars on the costs of this Assembly alone. I believe that our latest estimate is that it costs more than $1,000 for each page of what we say as it is recorded in Hansard. What about the new $12.7m Legislative Assembly?
Madam Speaker, who should pay for the costs of the national capital? The national capital was built as the showpiece of this nation. I think most people would agree that that was the right thing to do for the Commonwealth seat of government. But the suggestion that people who live in Canberra can pay for it places a totally unreasonable burden on their representatives, because it cannot be paid for. It has not been paid for and it will not be paid for under this State-like form of Legislative Assembly that we have.
Let me make the point clearly. When we talk about a municipal council and a State-like government, they are different things. A State-like government is not a municipal council if you call it a municipal council. It is a State-like government. The only way we will have a Canberra city council is for the Federal Parliament to resume their responsibility for health, education, law and order and the very high costs of the infrastructure of Canberra.
What are the other effects of having a State-like government in the ACT? The suggestion was always that we would have more consultation. Wow! Need I say again and again that if there is one thing we do not get in Canberra it is consultation with the people. Certainly some groups have been set up, and on some occasions, I grant you, there has been consultation. There was consultation
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