Page 2730 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 6 June 2012
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Mrs Dunne: Mr Seselja’s question was quite specific. It was about the impact of the lease variation charge on jobs. It was not an opportunity for the Chief Minister to talk about the lease variation charge in general. She needs to answer the question directly.
Mr Hargreaves: On the point of order, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hargreaves.
Mr Hargreaves: Mr Speaker, I think it is reasonable for you to rule that the Chief Minister has a little bit more than 14 seconds to put context around her answer.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, there is some latitude for the Chief Minister to frame her answer. But the question is quite specific, and I trust you will get to it in your time, Chief Minister.
MS GALLAGHER: I think it is surprising that the Leader of the Opposition continues to attack lease variation charge. I think it constitutes between one and two per cent of our own source revenue—a very, very, very small part of the overall revenue collected from property across the ACT—yet it is entirely responsible for everything that occurs in the ACT, I think, if you look at Mr Seselja’s media releases over lease variation charge.
Lease variation charge will continue to be an important part of own-source revenue, even though it is small, as the city grows and develops. It is right that the community gets a return from development rights that are granted.
Mr Seselja: Point of order.
MR SPEAKER: One moment, Chief Minister.
Mr Seselja: As much as we love the exposition on it, the question was very specific in terms of its impact on jobs and I would ask you to ask the minister to be directly relevant.
MR SPEAKER: Minister, we are getting to the time frame where you need to get to the specific question, please.
MS GALLAGHER: If they stopped “point of ordering” I could actually answer the question. The answer to the question is that this budget supports jobs and it does it through our infrastructure program, our urban improvement program. Look at all the jobs contained there: $900 million being invested through there.
Mr Hanson: Mr Speaker—
MR SPEAKER: Order! Stop the clocks, thank you.
Mr Hanson: Again, we have raised this point of order three times, I think. The question was about the effects of the lease variation charge on jobs, not about the
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