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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 8 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2347 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Of course, Mr Speaker, the 2002-03 surplus is about a quarter of the one promised-a cruel deception of the ACT community. To underscore the broken promise, Labor says there will be a deficit of $21 million in 2003-04. You promised a surplus of $14 million. Remember?

Perhaps people who voted Labor have forgotten that maintaining surpluses is not this party's strong suit. "Ah," says Mr Quinlan, "Our new promise is that we will reach a surplus over the duration of the economic cycle"-whatever that is. He defines it conveniently as the next four years-conveniently because if he chose to define it as the next three years, which is the life of this government, on these figures, the net result would be a loss of some $2 million.

Labor's excuse for running a deficit at all is highly unoriginal. It is the Mother Hubbard line-the previous government left nothing in the cupboard. However, yesterday, in this place, the Treasurer effectively sank that line. Yesterday, the Treasurer conceded that spending had been pushed up very considerably this year by his government, through its second and third appropriation bills.

Of this spending, Mr Quinlan takes responsibility, generously, for some $16 million-that is money spent on Labor's own priorities, at its own initiative. He also tells us that the Liberal-bequeathed loss is running at $2.4 million this financial year.

Let us bring the two figures together. If you take out Labor's self-confessed contribution to extra spending, the loss becomes a surplus of $13.6 million. If you subtract $2.4 million and add $16 million for Labor's promises, you get $13.6 million-a figure remarkably similar to the $12.4 million we promised in last year's budget as our surplus for this year. There is no black hole, Mr Deputy Speaker-none whatsoever. The ACT fiscus is today in better shape than it has ever been.

Mrs Dunne: But it will not be for long!

MR HUMPHRIES: Perhaps so, Mrs Dunne.

The next broken promise is about tax. On 26 May 2000, Jon Stanhope said, "We need a government that will focus on delivering quality services and low tax rates." Remember that? Low tax rates? Coupled with Labor's financial statement of 15 October last year, when Labor promised to deliver its program within the forecast bottom line, it is reasonable for an observer of ACT politics to assume that there would not be tax increases under Labor. We now know better-nearly $17 million in increased taxes and charges this year alone, and counting. In the same statement we are told, "Labor's promises are achievable without tax increases." No "hear, hears" on that statement, I understand!

He said that Labor's promises are achievable without tax increases. So much for Labor's promises. For example, stamp duty is up to 22 per cent, raising an extra $7.3 million. Land tax-the take-up is up 16 per cent. Payroll tax changes effectively raised the rate by 1.1 per cent. Car registration is increasing by $26 per vehicle-$3.9 million for the government. They did not tell them that before the election, did they?

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