Page 3449 - Week 08 - Thursday, 23 August 2012
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We certainly will not be supporting this line, because this line is where the slug is coming from. It is through Treasury. It is through the decisions taken in Treasury and by the Treasurer and backed by the government that Canberra families are going to see a $600 increase on average in their ACT government fees and charges and that they are going to see a massive increase in their rates. The government is so proud of this reform that it is spending our money to mislead us about what this reform does.
The government is using our money to hide what the reform will do and, in some cases, flat out deceive the community as to what is actually happening. I say to the Treasurer that that brochure should be withdrawn immediately until you put something out there that is actually true. You cannot put stuff out there that is a flat-out lie, and that is what that brochure is. Why are you so keen to hide what is going on? (Second speaking period taken.) That is the question the Treasurer could not answer in question time today. He had the opportunity to tell us we were wrong, but we are not. The figures speak for themselves in terms of the impact on first homebuyers of the changes to those concessions.
Let us be clear on this: the government needs to be honest about what it is doing here. If it is proud of these reforms, then put all of the information out there. Do not hide it in the fine print. Do not fudge the truth. Do not twist it. Say, “This is what we are doing; these taxes will go down for some; these taxes will go up,” and people can make judgements if you are proud of your reforms.
There are, of course, other changes and other taxes, and this is a government that keeps taxing homes. It does it with the increases to the lease variation charge.
Ms Gallagher: That old chestnut.
MR SESELJA: Well, the Chief Minister says, “That old chestnut.” Why would you object to a tax that is going to be $50,000 on every unit within a couple of years? Why would you object to such a tax?
Ms Gallagher: It is not on every unit. You know that.
MR SESELJA: Well, you are right. In some cases it will be much more. In some cases it will actually be over $100,000.
Ms Gallagher: For most units, it won’t even be charged.
MR SESELJA: Most units? Well, where do people buy units? They buy them in places like Braddon, for instance, where it is going to be $52,000 a year on most units that are built. And what about dual occupancies? We have not even used dual occupancies. We could have. In some cases, that might be $80,000 or $90,000 or $100,000 for every one of those. You are right, it will not be $50,000 in every case; in some cases it will be much more.
What is that going to do for rents? What is that going to do for the cost of a unit? What is that going to do for planning of this city as this government keeps taxing
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