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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 05 Hansard (Tuesday, 4 May 2004) . . Page.. 1735 ..

Budget at a Glance (Budget Paper No 2)

Budget Overview (Budget Paper No 3)

Budget Estimates (Budget Paper No 4)

Supplementary Budget Paper—Framework for future budget presentation—Discussion paper.

Later this afternoon, I will be presenting the ownership agreements and the purchase agreements relating to all portfolios.

Title read by Clerk.

MR QUINLAN: I move:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

Mr Speaker, it is my honour to rise today to deliver the 2004-05 budget for the Australian Capital Territory—the third budget of the first Stanhope government. The budget I deliver today demonstrates our continued commitment to responsible financial management into the next four years. It will complete three years of outstanding progress in the territory.

Mr Speaker, we value many things in our lives. Those things we value most are our families, our lifestyle and surroundings, and the strength and depth of our community. We aspire to a future in which we can grow up, or grow old, in the knowledge that our standard of living will be protected and enhanced. The growth of our economy and the strength of our budget are important for us to protect and promote our values both now and into the future.

This budget continues to deliver on this government’s policy objectives. This budget very clearly demonstrates this government’s commitment to our people, our economy and our surroundings. These principles are clearly identified in the Canberra plan and its three subplans—the social plan, the economic white paper and the spatial plan.

We are continuing our commitment to the quality of basic services—housing, health, education, and community safety.

And, Mr Speaker, this is a budget in surplus, with no major asset sales, no new borrowings for general government purposes and no new taxes.

Mr Speaker, this budget is a commitment to our future. Rather than delivering a typical election budget, this government has planned for, and is working towards, a sustainable future for the territory. We have delivered on this commitment today. This is a budget based on sustainability.

Mr Speaker, the first three budgets of the Stanhope government have encountered both positive and negative influences. There have been short-term windfall gains that cannot be relied upon to repeat themselves into the future, but have built up expectations. There have been negatives in the global influences on investment revenues and declines in federal funding through the grants commission reviews. Of course, there has been the horrendous impact of the bushfire of 18 January 2003.

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