Page 2173 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 15 August 2006
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The Howard Coalition Government’s strong economic management has resulted in the generation of over 1.8 million … new jobs since March 1996, over half … of these have been full-time positions.
The … Government is investing $3.6 billion to deliver greater employment services and other assistance, including rehabilitation, long and short term wage subsidies, funds to modify workplaces to meet the needs of disabled employees, upskilling and training of jobs seekers.
I put it to the Assembly that it is in fact this enormous level of stimulation that the ACT is benefiting from. One might say, “Why is the ACT doing better than others?” It is because the commonwealth government is home-based here in Canberra.
The commonwealth government has an ambitious program for the creation of employment within the ACT and elsewhere, and our biggest challenge will be producing the work force to meet that need because of the reduced desirability now of people to move into the territory, thanks to the taxation regime that has been imposed across this community through the latest budget. It is worth looking at that because it is quite extraordinary that, in a country where things are so prosperous, things are going so well and governments as far away as Western Australia are making concessions to the people in terms of tax relief, the 2006-07 budget will go down in infamy as the budget that condemned the people of Canberra to years of acute and progressively worse financial pain.
It is interesting, Mr Deputy Speaker, that not one member of the government is sitting on the benches opposite, so I feel as though I am talking to you and the clerks. Nevertheless, I will proceed.
Mrs Dunne: And me.
MR MULCAHY: And Mrs Dunne, who is obviously enthralled by my observation about this territory’s poor economic management. That budget was inevitable and it was the product of over four years of economic mismanagement and irresponsible government.
I find it fascinating that Ms Porter would really have, dare I say it, the gall to put up a matter of public importance about the ACT economy and the ACT job market and to do so against the background of the massive tax increases that are belting the life out of Canberra residents, families, people on fixed incomes and business. We only have to look at some of the issues that have been pursued, including in particular one by you, Mr Deputy Speaker, the fire and emergency services levy, to see the terrible impost on households. It is $84 a year. It does not matter whether you live in Forrest or Charnwood, you are going to be hit at the same level. It is disproportionately a massive blow to those on lower incomes, the battlers and those that our friends opposite purport to represent but in fact do them a major disservice through the tax regime that they are in the process of inflicting on them.
These are the things that people find curious. They see what has gone on in the rest of Australia. They have seen what the Howard government has done in stimulating the economy, in creating employment and in creating opportunity. In fact, they are
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