Page 473 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 17 February 2016

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(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) clarify the uncertainty surrounding changes to the ACT Concessions Program and acknowledge the concerns of the Canberra community;

(b) assure the Canberra senior community that this review is not just another cost cutting exercise by this government; and

The motion I bring forward in the Assembly today highlights the uncertainty that has surrounded the proposed changes to the ACT concessions program for almost a year. As I have already mentioned, and the motion notes, the expenditure review of the concessions program was opened up for public comment in March and April 2015, with a total of 24 submissions offered from the community. Then in November 2015 the government released a discussion paper detailing proposed changes to 10 concessions open to feedback from the public. Now after almost a year of indecision from the government, those that receive concessions will still have to wait until the June budget is released to fully understand which concessions will be targeted and how in the government’s cutbacks.

Public consultation on the discussion paper released by the government closed last Friday. By Monday the Chief Minister had already told the media, and we saw the headline in the Canberra Times, that cuts would be announced in the ACT budget and signalled in which areas these cuts would be. I thought the idea of public consultation was to provide the community with a legitimate chance to provide feedback to Mr Barr. It would appear from this situation that it was all for show—the normal “consultation, consultation”—yet the bottom line is, “We know what we’re going to do. Just let them talk and we’ll do what we want to do after all.” That is exactly what is happening here.

How, I ask, in less than three days, was Mr Barr able to review and consider the public feedback and consult with the relevant departments and organisations that should be involved in a decision such as this? How in such a short amount of time was the government able to properly consider the long-term effects that cutting particular concessions will have on the people of Canberra? I also find it quite astounding that this is coming from a government that claims to be developing an age-friendly city. It has even developed a strategic plan for positive ageing. I ask, Madam Speaker: what positives are there in this situation?

I very much doubt that the ACT senior community are feeling positive about the situation they find themselves in, with no details or information about when and exactly what changes to the concessions program will occur. I also doubt that seniors are feeling positive about the increasing hikes they are seeing in their rates while the government considers cutting back the water and sewerage concessions for home owners. Why are these draconian and drastic measures being considered? It is to fund Mr Barr’s platitudes to the Greens, the biggest self-indulgent act by any ACT government to date—the light rail—and everybody in Canberra has to suffer for it.

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