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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (29 June) . . Page.. 2274 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: Exactly.

Mr Quinlan: But it isn't a big deal here.

MR HUMPHRIES: Exactly. But the point is the ACT has maintained its position relative to other parts of Australia.

Yesterday or on Tuesday Mr Quinlan said to me, "It's not true to say that the ACT is a low-taxing jurisdiction or at least below the national average because you haven't taken into account local government taxes." Well, I can report with pleasure to the Assembly that I have some figures which include local government taxes and charges. These figures are set out in a recently published report prepared by the Australian Bureau of Statistics entitled Taxation Revenue, which I table.

The report contains a summary of impact across jurisdictions of state and local taxes on the population-the total amount of taxation per head of resident population. It shows that the national average of state and local taxes paid by each resident of Australia is $2,150. The ACT figure of $1,973 is significantly below that-a difference of $177. The ACT figure is below that of Victoria and Western Australia. Most importantly, it is well below that of New South Wales, which at $2,555 per head of population for local and state government taxes is a clear $582 a year heavier in taxing than the ACT.

Mr Quinlan: Do you actually believe that?

MR HUMPHRIES: Well, I actually do. I know I am a sucker for a good line, Mr Deputy Speaker. I know those charlatans at the Australian Bureau of Statistics are always trying to con us-"Oh boy, they are pretty sharp over there. The twists and turns they go through to get their figures out of here is really amazing." But, Mr Deputy Speaker, it is true. I do believe them when they tell me that the Australian average is $2,150 and we in the ACT are $177 a year below that level.

So, Mr Deputy Speaker, I have to say once again that the figures show that what we have been saying is true. We said that we were lower taxing than other parts of Australia, and it is true. Whether you take into account just state taxes or state and local government taxes, it is true. Despite the so-called huge increases in taxation that the opposition have decried and generally attacked in this place-

Mr Quinlan: Sorry lad, it is not that simple.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Deputy Speaker, I am trying to get a word in edgeways here.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Humphries, I would dearly like to defend your interests but first you have to direct your remarks to me and ignore the interjections.

MR HUMPHRIES: I shall try but it is very hard when you are being spoken over, Mr Deputy Speaker.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are encouraging it, Mr Humphries.

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