Page 4108 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 18 November 2015
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(k) that the Government’s taxation reforms are making the Territory’s taxes fairer, through reform to the rates system to make it more progressive—
that is, not a flat rate of tax that Mr Smyth would seem to prefer—
and through ensuring taxes are raised broadly across the community, instead of from residents who pay stamp duty—
not concentrating a huge amount of the territory’s own-source revenue from residents who pay stamp duty—
(l) that the Government’s taxation reforms are making the Territory’s taxes simpler through the abolition of—
a number of taxes—
(m) that the Government’s taxation reforms are making the Territory’s taxes more efficient, through a transition away from transaction-based taxes to land-based taxes;
(n) that the Government’s taxation reforms are making the ACT’s own-source revenue base more stable and predictable, thereby helping the Government plan for spending on services and facilities for the Territory community—
again, a point that Mr Smyth seems oblivious to, that the people who benefit from stable revenue streams are those most disadvantaged in the community, but that is not a major concern for Mr Smyth, clearly—
(o) that the Government has issued three phases of its Affordable Housing Action Plan, which is a comprehensive program that has helped improve housing affordability in the ACT;
(p) that the Government offers range of concessions available to help households on lower incomes, including discounts on rates, energy and water bills;
(q) that the Government offers a range of targeted assistance to lower income households, including public housing, health care, and transport—
assistance that is, of course, funded by a stable and predictable revenue base—
(r) that the Government has continued to support the Territory economy during the Commonwealth’s cuts to jobs and spending, to ensure households continue to stay in work and have access to important community services;
(s) that the Government issues a cost of living statement as part of the annual Territory budget, and that the budget papers indicate rates increases—
over the forward estimates—
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