Page 3236 - Week 10 - Thursday, 16 September 1993
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Some deluded motorists in this Territory might have thought that this Government were their friends. Every time Mr Connolly has been on the radio about petrol prices it has been to say, "Look at the terrible things that retailers in this Territory are doing to you motorists. This Government really feels for you. We are on your side. We are going to do something about high petrol prices". They sure did. They helped put them up. When the Federal Government, only a little while ago, also put up petrol prices, this Government was stone silent.
Mr De Domenico: And which Minister from the Federal Parliament?
MR HUMPHRIES: In the Federal Government it was Mrs Kelly; in the ACT it was Mr Connolly.
Mr De Domenico: The same faction.
MR HUMPHRIES: The same faction. After this budget the ACT Government will collect 9.2 per cent of petrol revenue in tax. The Federal Government will collect 53.8 per cent in tax, and that level will increase progressively in line with the Federal Government's tax rises announced in the recent Federal budget. By contrast, retailers - the great villains, according to Mr Connolly - collect only 5.7 per cent of that total take; yet Mr Connolly continues to bleat about how retailers are uncompetitive and are failing to provide motorists with competition and better prices. What a hypocrite he is to urge restraint, yet show absolutely none himself. I think that until we see restraint from this Government we simply cannot expect ACT motorists to take this Government seriously.
A consumer filling a petrol tank of, say, 50 litres in the ACT will now pay something like $37.70. Of that $37.70, some $20.40 will go in ACT and Federal government tax. It is very simple. I know what this is. This is Labor's hidden GST. It is a tax on petrol. Remember that when you go to the petrol station to fill up your tank Ms Follett is there, right behind Mr Keating, putting her hands, along with his, in your pockets to get your money. Madam Speaker, Mr Connolly and Ms Follett do not have much regard for petrol prices.
I should acknowledge something very important. I should say that at one time Ms Follett had a much different attitude. She did at one time have compassion. She had compassion in September 1990, when the Alliance Government was in power and she was commenting on a budget which tried to make some money in the area of petrol pricing. I want to quote what Ms Follett said. Here is what Ms Rosemary Follett said on 13 September 1990, in commenting on the 1990-91 budget:
Mr Speaker, it is on the revenue side of the budget that we can most easily see the callous disregard that this Government has for the people of Canberra. The decision to almost double the business franchise fee on petrol at this point in time clearly shows how out of touch this Government is ... We should also remember that, whether we like it or not, Canberra has been built for cars. Our public transport system at this point is not adequate.
Oh, dear! Well, well, well! What a change of heart! Ms Follett has certainly had a change on the road to Damascus. It is not the only change of heart she has had. I also found another interesting comment in the same speech. It has to do with the question of public service job reductions. Ms Follett said:
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