Page 1865 - Week 06 - Thursday, 5 June 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Millions in waste, billions in debt, and what does this government have to show for it? There are two pet projects: Shane’s train and Simon’s solar plant. The hubris is on display in the headline figures. When faced with record debt and record deficits, does this government show restraint or responsibility? No. They go for the hip pocket of Canberrans and they rack up another billion dollars in debt. That is not a total billion dollars in debt; that is another billion dollars in debt. The amount owing at the end of this budget cycle if $4.5 billion. It is the highest ever recorded in the territory.
Like misguided, spoiled teenagers, they have spent their pocket money, they have broken the piggy bank and they have now pilfered their parents’ credit cards. It is the parents of this city that will be paying these bills, and they will be paying them for a very long time.
Just on the borrowings, Canberra families are going to have to dig deep to find nearly $1 billion in interest. That is not paying back the debt. That is just paying off this government’s interest bill. They are spending like it is not real money, but it is real money and it is Canberra families that are going to have to pay the bill.
In fact, that equates to over $6,000 for every Canberra household. It is money that we could use for new schools and new hospitals—two new hospitals. It could be used for more schools—20 new schools. It could build two new dams, even at the price of their Cotter Dam. And it could fix practically every road and footpath across this city.
But it is all gone. It is all gone. Now the families of Canberra have to pay for the spending of this government. They have been living like kings and queens with their friends in the inner circle, all congratulating each other on how visionary and transformational they are. And they continually put forward the most ridiculous confections of monetary voodoo.
I utterly reject the recovery outlined in this budget. It beggars belief that after years of more borrowing and ongoing overspends there is going to be this miraculous $215 million turnaround in the last year. Does anybody in this chamber or this town actually believe that Andrew Barr is going to deliver this magic surplus? Madam Speaker, he is the Wayne Swan of the ACT.
But that is not the only deceit in this budget.
Members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, members!
MR HANSON: In his tabling speech on Tuesday, Andrew Barr boasted proudly of his tax reform. He talked about taxes being reduced. But it is a staggering omission that he neglected to say how his tax reform was going to be paid for. Andrew Barr was telling the community continually about how he was going to fund that tax reform but forgot to tell them that their rates were going to go up by another 10 per cent. That is hundreds of dollars out of Canberrans’ hip pockets, following the hundreds last year and the hundreds before and for years and years to come.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video