Page 4118 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 18 November 2015

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video

---

I would like to raise the issue of the large increase in ACT rates this year and the incompetent economic management by the ACT Labour Party. I have just received my new rates bill of $1849.59 for our house in Macarthur. The rates for last year were $1598.28 and so the new rates bill is an increase of 12.25% when wage growth is on average less than 3% at present. For the previous year our rates increased by 9.36%. So for the last 2 years, our rates have increased by 21.6% which is just ridiculous and unsustainable, especially for people who have retired from the workforce. When the light rail project has to be paid for, rates obviously have to substantially increase again and socialist ideals can only go so far before the whole ACT economy is in big trouble.

What is this labour government doing to ACT taxpayers? If possible, please raise this in the ACT Assembly and request an explanation from Mr Barr who is more concerned about Gay Marriage (as is the Greens) than the more important issues of creating jobs and growing the ACT economy.

Has Mr Barr walked around the Canberra Centre shopping centre lately as there are so many empty shops now that we are starting to look like a third world capital city than a first world one. Mr Barr needs to create an environment to encourage small businesses to start up and employ local young people. I have recently returned from many weeks in Europe and I am shocked by the state of the Canberra economy. Even Barcelona did not appear to have as many empty shops as Canberra.

There are many other letters. People are shocked by the rates increases. Here is one that says:

I note that my rates have increased from $1205.15 in 2008/09 to $2150.98 in 15/16, an increase of almost 79%(!!) in 7 years, making this an average increase of more than 11% per year.

The people of the ACT are entitled to know what the impact of the government’s reforms is. The government should know. If they do not know then they should find out and they should support this motion.

Question put:

That the amendment be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Question so resolved in the affirmative.

Amendment agreed to.

Motion, as amended, agreed to.

---

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video