Page 2298 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 22 June 2011
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Childcare costs are also part of family budgets. In the ACT we do not set the fees for childcare services. It is worth noting that the ABS has recently noted that the out-of-pocket cost for families was seven per cent in 2010 compared to 13 per cent in 2004. We have certainly brought online the potential for increased childcare places and are building new childcare centres.
Basic services to support Canberrans have increased through increased front-line services experiencing demand pressures. We have expanded health services, improved school programs and facilities, including new schools, and strengthened our community services system.
In summary, it is quite inaccurate to refer to price increases, particularly over a 10-year period, without taking into account the services and concessions that this government has provided to the Canberra community. When all factors are considered, this government is showing that it is responsive to the Canberra community, whether we live in the outer suburbs or the inner suburbs. The government has a significant proportion of its members actually living in the outer suburbs. I know that I do not live too far from Mr Smyth; I occasionally see him down at the local shops. So I see myself absolutely as part of the Canberra community.
I fully support the amendment put forward by the Chief Minister.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (4.27): I welcome the opportunity to again range over broad territory in relation to the cost of living pressures that face Canberra families—not just Canberra families who are recipients of welfare and people who live in government housing but other families as well, who seem to come entirely under the radar of the Labor Party and the Greens in this place. It is for this reason that the Canberra Liberals will not be supporting the attempted changes to Mr Seselja’s motion by both the government and the Greens. I am pleased and proud to stand up for Canberra families today—all Canberra families who are doing it tough. And that is most Canberra families.
As is often the case, Ms Burch comes in here and runs off a litany of programs that are doing this here and that there. But they are not joined up in any way. There is a series of concessions. We had a review of the concessions system in the last term of the government and we are now having another one, which shows that the minister at the time, now the Chief Minister, failed to get the concessions system right and now we are leaving it to Minister Burch to try and fix up the mess.
The concessions system does not work as well as it can for the benefit of the people of the ACT. But there have been some improvements, which have been universally welcomed, in the budget to address the incapacity of people to deal with rising, escalating utility costs.
I need to put on the record the narrative that was being run in question time today by Minister Corbell and in this debate earlier by Ms Hunter that in some way the Canberra Liberals are not interested in people who are in receipt of the concessions scheme. That could not be further from the truth.
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