Page 2283 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 22 June 2011

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account of the fact that families are doing it tough, in some cases because of issues outside the government’s control and in many cases due to issues that are directly or indirectly influenced by government policy.

Madam Assistant Speaker, we are going to continue to fight for those families in the suburbs. The Labor-Greens coalition may not care about them but we will, and that is why we will continue to bring motions such as this to the Assembly. I commend it.

MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Minister for Health, Minister for Industrial Relations and Treasurer) (3.37): I thank Mr Seselja for bringing this motion to the Assembly again. The allegations that the Leader of the Opposition makes are incorrect that the Labor Party does not care about families that might be finding life difficult or managing their household budgets with difficulty. It is simply not the case. We will not be supporting the motion, though, and we will not be supporting it for a number of reasons. I have circulated an amendment to Mr Seselja’s motion.

The first reason is that the only figure we can verify in paragraph (1) is in subparagraph (a), and I have had Treasury trying to identify where the Liberal Party got these other figures from.

Mr Seselja: The ABS.

MS GALLAGHER: Well, we are using the ABS figures too and they do not match up. I am seeking to amend it to put what the ABS data actually says in reference to the figures in subparagraph (1)(b) and (c), which I think are incorrect. But I am also adding in the context in which this discussion needs to be had. I note Mr Seselja did not go at all to the issue of growth in the economy or growth in wages in terms of putting some context around increases in other areas. Yes, over a period of time, costs will increase. Alongside that, you need to look at what is happening to wages and the overall makeup of the economy. I will formally move the amendment I have circulated in my name. I move:

Omit all words after subparagraph (1)(a), substitute:

“(b) total taxation per capita has grown by 75 percent;

(d) GFS revenue, as a proportion of the economy, has decreased from 14.4 to 13.7 percent; and

(e) significant investments and expansion of services to community have been made, including increases in targeted assistance to those in need of extra support, including an increase of $151 per annum in the last two budgets to the energy concessions regime;

(2) notes per capita taxation as a proportion of gross household disposable income in the ACT is 5.1 percent, the lowest in the country compared to the national ratio of 7.9 percent;

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