Page 5002 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 26 October 2010

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In the end, whether they are businesses or whether they are middle income families, a government should always be having regard to the costs. Any tax, any cost burden, any impost that is placed, whether it is on a low income earner, a middle income earner or even a high income earner, should be considered carefully by the government. Governments should always be looking to keep cost burdens on the entire community down, as I said earlier, with a particular focus on those who struggle the most.

So I do find it disappointing that the Labor Party and the Greens will not support this. I would have thought it was quite a sensible amendment, simply to ensure the minister would have regard to these costs. The Labor Party and the Greens will now be voting to not have regard to these families.

Question put:

That Mr Seselja’s amendment be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Ayes 5

Noes 9

Mr Doszpot

Mr Seselja

Mr Barr

Ms Hunter

Mrs Dunne

Mr Smyth

Ms Bresnan

Ms Le Couteur

Mr Hanson

Mr Corbell

Ms Porter

Ms Gallagher

Mr Rattenbury

Mr Hargreaves

Question so resolved in the negative.

Mr Rattenbury’s amendment agreed to.

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Hargreaves): The question now is that clause 12, as amended, be agreed to.

MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (11.38), by leave: I move amendments Nos 12 and 13 circulated in my name together [see schedule 2 at page 5089].

Amendment No 13 simply inserts a definition of the intergenerational equity principle. This is for, of course, the sake of completeness in the act.

Amendment No 12 is, we believe, a drafting improvement. I guess I was struck by this clause when I first read it. The minister must try to do something. It did cause me to delve into a bit of pop culture and bring a quote to this place from that great Jedi knight philosopher, Yoda, in which he simply said: “Do or do not. There is no trying.” That is really the extent or the purpose of the Greens’ amendment—to improve the language and perhaps pick up that philosophy.

Amendments agreed to.

Clause 12, as amended, agreed to.

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