Page 2048 - Week 07 - Thursday, 17 June 1993
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The presentation speech referred to not maintaining inefficient and low priority services and to inefficient work practices and duplication. There is no substantial evidence that this Government has done anything substantial that is consistent with this rhetoric. The Auditor-General has identified virtually millions of dollars in waste and sloppy procedures, and either nothing has happened or changes have been occurring only exceedingly slowly. The delays add to the budget and to the debt and deprive other areas of funds. The delays are an issue in themselves. It could be argued that quantum leaps could be made in administration efficiency, particularly in the health area, rendering the need for such substantial rises in taxation and charges unnecessary despite the threat of reduced Federal support and despite threatened further reductions.
It would be reasonable to expect a host of other increases to be announced in the budget in September, especially if the comments that Ms Follett made about the budget in September are right - that it will be the hardest one ever. When we hear the line about a true Labor budget, social justice and all that, we could equally say that the so-called true believers have now become the true deceivers. They have abandoned the little people. They take them for granted, and I think they are taking all of Canberra for a ride as well.
MR MOORE (4.14): Madam Speaker, I rise to support this Bill, and not simply because in the election we made it very clear that we would support money Bills introduced by the Government - in fact, that undertaking applies to supply and appropriation Bills - but because I think it is important to accept that hard decisions are made by this Assembly. This Assembly does have the power to override this decision, and therefore everybody who votes for this Bill votes for an increase in rates and land tax. That is the ramification of this Bill.
Mrs Carnell: That is right - and rents and bus fares.
MR MOORE: That is right. Therefore, all of us are taking the responsibility for this quite hard decision. Nobody wants to see their rates lifted. The average increase will be just over 8 per cent. Nobody wants to be the person whose rates go up by 30 per cent, as somebody living in Curtin told me the other day was the case.
It seems to me, Madam Speaker, that we face quite hard times, but not as hard times as people face in Victoria and places like that. In Victoria that is the result of an irresponsible government and irresponsible budgetary arrangements. That has not been the case in the ACT. It was not the case when Mr Kaine was the Treasurer; nor has it been the case under Ms Follett as Treasurer. Madam Speaker, the point that I want to emphasise today is that, unless somebody votes against this Bill, as members of the Assembly we all accept the responsibility for raising the rates in this town. It is a hard decision, but it is one that is appropriately made by the Assembly as a whole.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (4.16), in reply: Madam Speaker, in closing the debate on the Rates and Land Tax (Amendment) Bill could I, firstly, thank members for their contributions. In responding to comments that have been made by the Liberal speakers, I would, first of all, like to refresh members' memories on the Kaine budget record, especially for the benefit of Mrs Carnell, who was not here for that budget. Madam Speaker, in Mr Kaine's budget he increased rates by 16.6 per cent. That compares with today's Bill which seeks an
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