Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .
Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 5 Hansard (10 May) . . Page.. 1358 ..
MR BERRY (continuing):
It seems to me that this government is now desperate to prevent any further information coming out about it. They have been in deep trouble over financial disasters throughout their period of office in this place and they still try to cover it up. Nobody should listen to their pleadings about the past. Things have changed.
This is a government that has a history littered with financial disasters. This is the worst government that this territory has ever seen in relation to financial disasters and the community demands that we discover every piece of information that we can about them. It is incumbent upon us as members of the opposition, as it is on every other member of this place, to further disclose your bungles, and this is part of the process. You said you would be happy to give it to us. Now is your chance. Support the motion.
Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.
MR STANHOPE: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Treasurer. Given the Treasurer's concession yesterday that his federal colleagues had not bothered to consult the ACT over the decision to exclude most of the territory from the diesel fuel rebate scheme and that his subsequent representations had fallen on deaf ears, can the Treasurer tell the Assembly today whether a similar outcome is likely in relation to the fuel sales grants scheme announced last night in Mr Costello's thin-air budget, that is, will Canberra motorists be beneficiaries of the subsidy designed to compensate those living in rural and regional Australia for the high petrol prices they are forced to pay?
MR HUMPHRIES: First of all, the question is speculating about a matter. It is a hypothetical question. What the federal government is going to do is not within my power to deal with, Mr Speaker. If Mr Stanhope wants to have a go at the federal government, there must be more sophisticated ways than that to do so, Mr Speaker.
Ms Carnell: Probably not.
MR HUMPHRIES: Probably not, yes, let's be frank. Mr Speaker, I am glad that we have gone back over the question of the diesel fuel rebate arrangements. On the point Mr Stanhope was limply trying to make in that question-that we do not have much leverage with the federal government-I would just note the things in the federal budget that the ACT sought and that have been very good news for the ACT-$12.3 million for the duplication of the Barton Highway and a number of other spending initiatives which will affect the ACT very positively; but, most important of all perhaps, the return of significant amounts of money to ACT taxpayers in the form of the tax cuts and the cancellation of the Timor levy. The initial estimate of my department on the benefit of that to ACT taxpayers is about $150 million a year. That is a very big improvement in the position of ACT taxpayers as a result of this federal budget.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .