Page 2608 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 5 June 2012

Legal Aid Commission (ACT), dated 30 May 2012.

Public Trustee for the ACT (PTACT).

I move:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

Supporting our Economy. Supporting Jobs.

Introduction

It is my pleasure to present the 2012-13 ACT Budget to the Assembly.

This Budget is about supporting the local economy and supporting local jobs.

It is about creating a fairer Canberra today, and a fairer future.

And it continues our measured and responsible plan to return the Budget to surplus.

Our economy and society are the envy of many.

The fundamentals of the ACT economy, and of the ACT’s fiscal position, are sound.

Our community has Australia’s highest standard of living.

Canberrans are on average the healthiest, best paid and best educated people in Australia.

The ACT has the nation’s lowest unemployment rate, a Triple-A credit rating, and low net debt.

Like all jurisdictions and communities, however, we face challenges in the short-term.

The ACT is bearing the brunt of the federal government’s contraction in spending and employment.

We are not immune to the economic turbulence buffeting economies right around the world.

And while most Canberrans are prospering, the Government acknowledges some in our community are doing it tough through no fault of their own.

We are well placed to conquer these challenges.

But conquering them is not a given, it requires a plan and a cool head.

This Budget sets out how the ACT Labor Government will steer the national capital through these challenges.