Page 2248 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 5 June 2013
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have that out on the table tomorrow in the Leader of the Opposition’s address in reply. If the Leader of the Opposition believes services should be cut, let him outline in his address tomorrow which services should be cut. If he does not support new investment across the health budget, in education, in disability services, let him say so. I will give Mr Smyth credit for one thing in his appearance on the television news on Sunday night—he said clearly he does not support additional funding in education.
Mr Smyth: I didn’t say that.
MR BARR: So he does not support more money for Catholic systemic schools. That is what you said.
Mr Smyth: No, I didn’t.
MR BARR: You were quite clear. Well, you do support that spending now, do you?
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Barr, address the chair.
MR BARR: Put that on the record, then. Madam Speaker, he has now changed his position from Sunday night to Wednesday morning. Do you or do you not believe the ACT government should be providing our share of funding for education into the future and signing up to this agreement? Mr Hanson, you will have the opportunity tomorrow to state your position one way or the other. Do you or do you not support the abolition of stamp duty? Do you or do you not support the reduction in the top rate of stamp duty for commercial properties, slashed from 7.25 per cent to 5.5 per cent? Do you or do you not support that initiative? Do you or do you not support the increase in the first home owner grant? Do you or do you not support the increase in eligibility for the homebuyer concession scheme? Do you or do you not support investment in education, in health, in community services?
You have the opportunity tomorrow night, the first major speech of your time as opposition leader, to clearly state an alternative position for this community. Put forward what sort of budget you would have delivered, Mr Hanson, in the circumstances. You put something forward, and if you disagree with the government, fantastic. But at least have the courage to say where you disagree and how you would pay for an alternative policy position, because you are already on the record as wanting to pay more in wages and salaries.
MADAM SPEAKER: Standing order 42, Mr Barr.
MR BARR: Madam Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is already on the record as wanting to pay more in wages and salaries. That costs $20 million for every one per cent increase above two per cent cumulative in the outyears—so three per cent over the next four years, $20 million in this coming financial year, $40 million the year after, $60 million the year after that and $80 million in the final outyear. If that is your position—which is what you have stated on radio already when you ruled out five per cent but you said you wanted more than two per cent, which costs money—you will need to explain, Mr Hanson, how you are going to pay for that. You will need to explain how you are going to pay for your position, because now you are in the position of Leader of the Opposition—
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