Page 2348 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 12 August 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
We also saw major projects like the University of Canberra public hospital go to the next stage of commitments. We saw, importantly, the next stage of tax reform. I know those opposite find it very easy to start their campaign on anti-tax reform—anti anything the government does actually. Anti-tax reform, importantly, is seeing cuts to stamp duty to make sure that people who want to own a home are not slugged with one of the most inefficient taxes that exist around the country. Here we are leading the way on that important reform. There are payroll tax cuts to make sure that we remain an attractive place for people to come and do business. We are seeing new savings put in place for people who want to downsize, who want to move out of their house, who have reached the age where downsizing becomes a real option for them. This budget helps them with that decision.
We have also made commitments around new schools. There is the work on the Woden bus interchange and a new CIT campus in Tuggeranong, which will be a fantastic addition to services for people living in the south of Canberra. Everywhere you look, right across the city, there is well thought through, targeted spending, making sure we are looking after our assets, improving our assets, and all the time keeping an eye on where we want to go as a city of the future.
Despite what people would have heard said opposite, let me say that if anyone reads the Hansard of this budget in years to come—I would be surprised, but if they did—I can assure them that this budget does exactly what Canberra needs at this point in time: provide a vision, a hope, a plan, to use words that Mr Smyth always barks back at us, about what we would like to see.
Mr Coe: A tram.
MS GALLAGHER: Yes, it does include light rail. Mr Coe does another laugh on that, but yes, it includes a modern public transport system that is worthy of the nation’s capital. It will change the entrance to Canberra and ensure we are dealing with some of the congestion issues on the most heavily congested road in Canberra. We are starting where we need to start, in Gungahlin. We are doing the master plan to make sure that future light rail stages are dealt with properly when those decisions need to be taken. We do not apologise for that one little bit. Yes, it is an important city-building project, one that will generate jobs, change the look of the city and deliver a modern public transport system that is worthy of a city of our size. Many people support us with that vision, Mr Coe, despite your best efforts to undermine it.
Mr Coe interjecting—
MS GALLAGHER: Again, I hear you use the words “push-polling”, as you did this morning. I am sure you would be a little less easy with that phrase outside this chamber.
Opposition members interjecting—
MS GALLAGHER: If you are able to yell it across the chamber numerous times, you are obviously able to yell it in the Assembly grounds, the gardens. I do not think you would be so willing then.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video