Page 2900 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 19 September 2006
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In Ngunnawal land values increased by six per cent, yet rates and charges have increased by 39 per cent, from $777 to $1,083. In Amaroo land values have increased by five per cent, but rates and charges have increased by 35 per cent, from $877 to $1,185. The government’s response is that it is our fault, that it is the fault of the people of the ACT. The Chief Minister has said that the people of the ACT have been living beyond their means. It is not the people of the ACT who have been living beyond their means. This government has been living beyond its means. This government has squandered massive windfall revenues. It has not provided for the future through better infrastructure. It has not provided better services. The government did not say anything before the last election, but now it says it is going to reward us by closing 39 schools and increasing taxes by 50 or 60 per cent. That is a disgraceful record. That is the record of a government that has lost control of its expenditure. It is now seeking to blame everyone but itself. It has no one to blame but itself and its ministry.
MS PORTER (Ginninderra) (4.58): I rise to make a brief point. One should ask whether expenditure to meet the needs of the ACT community should be around the national average. It is a reasonable question to ask. However, the next question is whether the ACT community would be happy with an average level of service. The answer clearly is no. The people of the ACT are not content with an average level of service. Why should they be? The community has high expectations for services. However, pleasingly, it is also prepared to invest in the sustainability of health and education services, municipal and emergency services and the sustainability of our community and disability services. I have this view confirmed every weekend when I discuss this issue with people who—
MR SPEAKER: Order! The time for the discussion has expired.
Adjournment
Motion (by Mr Stanhope) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Death of Glen Parry
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (4.59): Mr Speaker, I rise to bring to the attention of members and the ACT community the passing of Glen Parry. Glen was assistant secretary of the CFMEU, a position he worked in for a long time, and was a man of great passions. I was lucky enough to work with Glen on a number of issues, including some occupational health and safety reforms whereby we got programs going inside the building industry to look at drug and alcohol abuse. Workplace safety was something that Glen was very strong about.
It is interesting that on one occasion Glen and I actually had to fight the ACT Labor government over giving them a free utility. Yes, that is right, Mr Speaker, the CFMEU and I, a member of the Liberal Party and also a member of a volunteer bushfire brigade, helped to organise a free vehicle for a volunteer bushfire brigade, something which the ACT Labor government, under Jon Stanhope, refused to accept, or at least initially refused to accept. I think that that was very much to their shame and, very much to his last days, Glen laughed at the fact that he and I had worked very hard to ensure that this
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