Page 1587 - Week 05 - Thursday, 15 May 2014
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MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Treasurer, can you outline the choices facing the ACT government in preparing the ACT’s 2014-15 budget.
MADAM SPEAKER: The Treasurer, Mr Barr, being careful not to announce government policy.
MR BARR: There is no doubt that developing budgets is a challenging task—and no more challenging in the last two decades than this budget that we will deliver in three weeks time. It is perhaps the most challenging budget for the territory in two decades.
In anticipation of the commonwealth cuts that have now materialised, we are left with a very stark choice. We can either reduce expenditure, cut jobs and cut our own services in order to seek to deliver budget surpluses at this time, or we can continue to invest in our city and in jobs through the provision of essential services to the community and through targeted infrastructure works to soften the blow on our economy from the commonwealth contraction. It is our intention to continue to invest in our city and to do this responsibly by leveraging the territory’s very sound financial position and using innovative procurement methodologies for large projects that the territory economy needs.
There have been different choices taken in different jurisdictions in Australia in relation to this challenge. I do not think anyone is seriously arguing—certainly not the business community or the community sector; I have yet to hear any advocates in this community arguing it—that we should now join with the commonwealth in contracting our economy, adding to the job losses, adding to unemployment in our city and reducing the level of economic activity. If there is such an argument and it is going to be put, now is the time. I am sure that the shadow treasurer will have the opportunity to put forward a proposition to that extent if that is what he believes. If he believes we should follow the path of his federal colleagues and contract our economy further, let him say so. But that is not the approach we will be taking. (Time expired.)
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Dr Bourke.
DR BOURKE: Treasurer, how important is it for the budget to commit to further infrastructure investment?
MR BARR: More important than ever given that the infrastructure Prime Minister and the infrastructure commonwealth budget has delivered no new infrastructure for the ACT. This government will need to do the heavy lifting in relation to new infrastructure for the territory, because infrastructure makes a vital contribution to confidence and job generation in the city.
The infrastructure investment by the territory government promotes long-term improvements in the productive capacity of the territory’s economy which lead to long-run economic growth and improved living standards for everyone in the city. It gives the government also the resources to invest in our community longer term. It
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