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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 4 Hansard (1 April) . . Page.. 1191 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

rates. They will pay Ted's new rates-CPI plus a percentage. If on 30 June someone moves into a complex of older persons accommodation being developed in Yarralumla, they will pay under the old system. If a friend moves into the same complex on 1 July when their unit is completed, they will pay under the new system. Same property, same development, same street, same suburb-different rates. According to the Treasurer, that is equity, that is fair.

The Treasurer said, "Make people pay what they can really afford to pay."How do you judge that through a rates system?

Mr Quinlan: Excuse me. Did I?

MR SMYTH: Yes, you did. I wrote it down. You said, "Make people pay what they can really afford to pay."We will check Hansard. They were words close to that, if not those exact words. You said, "Make people pay what they can afford to pay."How is that equitable? You are making people pay because they can afford to pay. What about value for service? What about consistency of service? What about getting the services that you desire? What about a government looking after you and keeping their promises? We do not get that.

Ms Dundas raised the point that very few people, about 70, have approached government to defer payment of their rates. Perhaps we have not done enough to alert people to the fact that if they are having difficulties they can defer payment. That is how assistance should be provided. You should not do it through the tax system. As we know, people can rort any tax system.

On Thursday the Treasurer will bring forward a bill to put his system in place. Today we ask the Treasurer: how will your system give equity to the first home buyer who buys after 1 July? It will not. How will you give equity to those families that have expanded-had twins or had a third, fourth, or fifth kid-and have decided to get a bigger place because they are on a bit better wage and they want to give their kids a better go? How will your system give them equity? It will not.

How will you give equity somebody who becomes disabled and needs to move? If they stay in the same suburb but move to a house that has been renovated or specially modified for them, they will pay different rates. That is equity, according to the Treasurer. People who retire and move to a smaller unit in the same area after 1 July will pay more in rates than somebody who moves before 1 July. According to our Treasurer, that is equity. A bushfire victim who because of something they had no control over has to move and buys a house after 1 July will get lumbered with a higher rates bill. According to the Treasurer, that is equity.

This is not an equitable system. This is a grab for cash. Over time this grab for cash will bring extraordinary amounts of money to the government. You say that it is all about equity. There is no equity in this system. I do not wish to anticipate debate. This matter will be on the notice paper again tomorrow. I hope we will have a more detailed discussion on it then. It is not a fair system. It is not an equitable system.

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