Page 3027 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 14 August 2013
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insurance premiums will reduce from eight per cent to six per cent. From 1 July 2013, duty on life insurance will reduce from four per cent to three per cent. Duty on conveyances will further decrease in line with the schedule announced in the 2012-13 budget. The reduction in conveyance duty is being accelerated in the 2013-14 budget for properties valued at $1.65 million and above, with a flat rate of 5.5 per cent.
The revenue lost through the abolition of these taxes will be replaced through the general rate system, which establishes a more efficient and fairer tax base. Overall, general rates on residential properties will increase by around 10 per cent, around $139 on average, in 2013-14.
The government does remain mindful of the impacts of tax reform on low income households. To help offset any increases in costs, the government provides assistance through the rates rebate and the rates deferral schemes. The rates rebate is increasing from $565 to $622 in 2013-14. This will help to alleviate the impact of tax reform for low income households. Pensioners who were in receipt of the rebate prior to July 1997 will remain eligible for a 50 per cent rebate on their rates. The government also offers the rates deferral scheme to eligible pensioners and non-pensioners that meet eligibility criteria.
I have talked about innovative projects like capital metro and digital Canberra, setting up a new and fairer tax system, and initiatives that help Canberrans in housing and education funding, with examples such as CC cares and Chances. This government, this ACT Labor government, has a vision for our future but never loses sight of the present. There are people who are relying on us now to ensure that the Canberra of today, as well as tomorrow, is an inclusive and fair society that we can all be proud to call our home.
I commend this motion to the Assembly.
MR HANSON (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (4.28): I thank Dr Bourke for bringing this motion before the Assembly today and for the passion with which he delivered that speech. I think we all admire, whether we agree with Dr Bourke or not, the passionate way that he delivers his speeches. What I would say, though, looking at the content, is that before Madam Speaker became Madam Speaker, when she was the parliamentarian known as Mrs Dunne, she would have described this as a wally motion. She would not do that now because she is the Speaker. But back in her day she would have said that this is a wally motion. And this is a wally motion.
I will go through in some detail why it is. This is an attempt to grandstand and say, “These are the government’s achievements. This is a wonderful job they are doing and I will go through some of these case by case.” But we have a different view on this side of the chamber in terms of the direction the government is taking. The government is taking the direction that Mr Rattenbury wants it to take, and that is to be the most progressive, the most Green government in Australia. That is where they want to go.
Dr Bourke: Transformational.
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