Page 1948 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 5 August 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
game in a number of key areas. The cost of living for families across Canberra is again attacked by this government. Some may say they have little sympathy for families who have worked hard to have higher incomes. However, those on the edge of coping under their own steam are most affected by the continued increase in rates and charges.
During the estimates hearings, I asked the Treasurer how a family in Belconnen was meant to cope with this budget. This family is neither wealthy and nor are they on a very low income. They are plugging away under their own steam, trying to keep their heads above the bills and taking responsibility for their long-term housing and other needs. The father of that family is a teacher. They have bought their house, have two children in public schools and have taken out medical and car insurance. They live in a three-bedroom house and mum is, for a time, at home. Today they live, per annum, on minus $50 a year—and, no, they do not have Foxtel.
There are many families in Belconnen, Gungahlin, Tuggeranong and around Canberra who are earning much less than they are. When I asked Minister Barr how it was fair that those people who, as a part of their mortgage, borrowed to pay their stamp duty and would be paying an increase of 10 per cent per year for the foreseeable future in rates, all the minister could say was that they should get a good union, and I recognise the presence in the gallery of a union. Thank you very much for being here.
However, when Ben Chifley gave his light on the hill address or when the miners of Queensland formed the earliest of Australia’s trade unions to improve the health and conditions of workers, I do not think they considered for a moment that the purpose of such unions was to protect union members from the hazards of a Labor government. We really have come full circle when the Treasurer continues to pretend that his actions are not impacting on those who can least afford to pay.
I should not really complain. If the Treasurer keeps this up, by the next election the constituency inversion of the past 30 years will truly be complete and there will be more people voting for us than ever before. They know that we at least respect their hard-earned cash and that we do not consider households to be a never ending ATM for the benefit of easier workloads for government ministers. It is not the role of government to make life easy for government; it is exactly the other way around. This government is showing its greed, and it is a disgrace to its own founding fathers. Families are leaving; families are not coping; and this Treasurer does not care enough to make sure he is aware of it.
I move to another government minister: Minister Rattenbury thought it was a joke or funny when I asked if he had made any calculations about expected increases to the public housing list as a result of the increased cost of rates. It was not a joke and it is not funny that under the weight of taxation some people may be forced to sell their homes and move into rental, putting further pressure on the rental market. The Treasurer has also increased land tax in this budget by 18 per cent. Given that the Treasurer has disappointed a lot of mum and dad investors looking after their own futures and giving us a rental supply by owning rental properties, he will be lucky if the current number of rental properties holds over the coming year.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video