Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 7 Hansard (4 June) . . Page.. 1829 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: I want to add to the information that he might take on notice.

MR SPEAKER: Okay.

MR HUMPHRIES: Does the government intend to retain the original deadlines for getting rid of other taxes and charges that were part of the intergovernmental agreement on the goods and services tax?

MR QUINLAN: That is a different question, inasmuch as we have already seen this year some reneging on the part of the federal government in relation to fuel excise. In the federal Treasurer's advice and explanation about that to the meeting of treasurers, there was a very broad hint in relation to tobacco excise as well. Whether we, or the states, will honour our commitments under that intergovernmental agreement will largely depend on whether, from this point on, the intergovernmental agreement is honoured by the Commonwealth.

As you are probably aware, some of the states are ahead of the game, as is New South Wales with the debits tax. We have no intention, at this point, of accelerating the elimination of those taxes but, all things being equal, we hope that we will be able to put the ACT economy in a similar position to the economy of the state that surrounds us, and on a par generally with the nation's. The intent is to be as good as those economies, if not better.

It is a difficult task, as you are probably aware already, and it does depend on whether the intergovernmental agreement falls apart or not. There were some threats to it at the last treasurers meeting, and there certainly was some discussion among the states about whether they would necessarily eliminate all the taxes that were agreed upon if the Commonwealth started to nibble at the edges of the agreement.

Territory Plan-draft variation No 200

MS GALLAGHER: My question is to the Minister for Planning. Can the minister tell the Assembly about the community's response to the garden city draft variation No 200 to the Territory Plan?

MR CORBELL: I thank Ms Gallagher for that question. Mr Speaker, there has been a lot of interest in the draft variation following its launch and release on 30 April, last Thursday. The public have shown a very strong interest in the variation. About 150 copies have been distributed over the two working days since its release. The Canberra Times and other media have generally reported strong support for the variation from a range of people and organisations, and these include Mr Ken Taylor, who is president of the National Trust in the ACT.

On behalf of the National Trust, Mr Taylor has described the release of the draft variation as one of the most significant steps taken in planning since self-government. I am very pleased to inform members that Mr Taylor has also indicated that he believes that the National Trust will now have to seriously review its listing of nine garden city suburbs in Canberra on the endangered places program. That listing, of course, was brought about by the previous Liberal government's determination to systematically-or

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .