Page 4729 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MS BURCH: Indeed, Mrs Dunne. A number of months ago, as part of that conversation on the national disability standards, I met with a number of disability providers.
Mr Seselja: On a point of order, on relevance, the question was very specific. It asked about conflict between the regimes in the ACT and New South Wales. I would ask you to ask the minister to actually answer the dorothy dixer.
Mr Hargreaves: Mr Speaker, on the point of order, you allowed a certain latitude the last time we talked about being very specific about the accreditation. I would seek your generosity yet again.
MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order, Mr Seselja. Ms Burch is responding to the question asked.
MS BURCH: Suffice to say that we are part of a national conversation around national disability services. By default, national standards would mean there would be very little conflict between jurisdictions.
Taxation—housing
MR COE: My question is directed to the Treasurer. Treasurer, housing rents increased by 10 per cent last year in Canberra, the biggest increase in Australia by far. The average rent for a three-bedroom house in Canberra is $455 per week, more than $145 more than the national average. Why is the government introducing a massive tax increase on housing given the problems with affordability of rental properties?
MS GALLAGHER: I presume Mr Coe is talking around the change of use charge codification project.
Mr Seselja: Are there others?
MS GALLAGHER: I presume that is what he is talking about because, if you look in the budget, the budget this year forecasts about an $8 million increase in change of use charge payments. So I am just trying to understand whether that is the massive new tax that Mr Coe talks about; it is actually a very modest increase in the revenue that we expect to receive in change of use charge.
Mr Hanson: How much?
MS GALLAGHER: It is about $8 million this year. As I have said in this place before, that is not to do with codification. This is not a new charge. This charge has existed in one form or another, and supported by members in this place, since self-government. There has been agreement about the need, and I am interested—
Mr Seselja: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, as it may assist the Treasurer in answering the question. The question was very specific about a massive tax increase. It is not about whether it is a new tax. Could she address the substance of the question rather than try to rewrite the question from Mr Coe.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video