Page 5976 - Week 14 - Thursday, 8 December 2011
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loaned at a concessional interest rate to Community Housing Canberra for the delivery of a further thousand properties to be available for affordable rental and sale.
In relation to electricity prices, the price paid for electricity has increased over the last decade. The Australian Energy Market Commission’s report on future possible retail electricity price movements released in June of this year shows that electricity prices in the ACT are in fact 24 per cent below the national average and are the lowest in the country. The ACT is also forecast to have the smallest increase in electricity prices of all states and territories over the next year, with an increase of only 6.4 per cent compared to 17.3 per cent faced by those across the border.
In very practical terms, a typical household electricity bill in the ACT will be $1,418 in the 2011-12 financial year. Across the border, in Queanbeyan, the typical annual household electricity bill will be $2,484. So you pay $1,000 a year more in electricity prices if you live in Queanbeyan compared to living on the ACT side of the border.
The government has focused on increasing concessions and particularly concessions aimed at low income households in energy, water and gas usage. My colleague Minister Burch will be speaking at some length on this concessions program, but, in summary, 4,000 low income households are being supported. Funding for the program is nearly $8 million. Eligible households are provided with an additional $131 per annum in recognition of increased utility costs. That program is $12.4 million over four years.
There are improvements to energy and water efficiency to reduce living costs through the Outreach program—nearly $8 million in additional funding—and the energy concessions, another $12.4 million over four years. That is a significant addition in terms of household income, particularly for those who need it most.
Madam Assistant Speaker, in the context of these debates we hear a lot from those opposite—
Mr Smyth: You’ll hear more.
MR BARR: I am sure we will—about raising issues, raising concerns, but we hear very little about what they would actually propose to do. They have voted against stamp duty concessions and against the utility costs concessions that I have just spoken about. The Leader of the Opposition will no doubt have the opportunity to speak in this debate, and we look forward to his policy solutions, what he actually proposes to do in relation to taxes and charges. Will he go on the record this afternoon and indicate which taxes and charges he proposes to cut, where he would find the money to finance those cuts—if that is, in fact, his policy position—or what services to the community he would cut if he believes that is the appropriate other policy solution? That is the challenge for the Leader of the Opposition and it will remain so up until election day.
We have heard a lot of talk, a lot of blustering, a lot of empathy and concern, but very little by way of any actual practical solutions. The challenge clearly for those opposite is to identify which taxes and charges they believe should be reduced and, on the
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