Page 481 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 17 February 2016
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concessions to the highest income earners in the city, then I would fundamentally question what they believe in and what they think the purpose of a concessions scheme is about. Why do you think we have it? It is not to funnel money to rich people. It is to direct money and support to the lowest income Canberrans. They are the values, the value—
Mr Doszpot: Like Oaks Estate, is it?
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Doszpot!
MR BARR: And the interjections from Mr Doszpot indicate exactly where his values are on this. He finds it objectionable that our purpose would be to redirect money away from high income earners to the most vulnerable Canberrans. That that is worthy of interjecting on speaks volumes of his starting point in this debate. But that is his position: that a concessions program is about high income earners.
No, it is not, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is about providing assistance to low income Canberrans and looking at our system to ensure that where we might be inadvertently providing assistance to high income earners, we can redirect that money to those who need it most. That is something that I think the vast majority of Canberrans—perhaps Mr Doszpot aside—would agree is the purpose of a concession scheme. It is to provide money and assistance to those who need it most. Surely in the design of our system, the design of our scheme, that is what we should be focused on.
That is exactly what my government is endeavouring to do, to provide more assistance to those who need it most. The contrast between the two parties could not be clearer. The other side of politics has cut funding for concessions, not just here in Canberra but right across Australia. I get interjected on when I state the values that we will apply to this, the values that we will apply to this to direct money to low income Canberrans. That is worthy of an interjection, repeated interjections, from those opposite. There you go. You have displayed in the last few minutes exactly the differences—why people are in politics and who they are here to help.
Opposition members interjecting—
MR BARR: And off they go. Off they go again.
Mrs Jones: Tell the single income families of Belconnen.
MR BARR: And here is Mrs Jones now joining the chorus. She and Mr Doszpot believe that money from the concessions program should be steered away from lower income households to continue to support high income households.
Mrs Jones interjecting—
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sit down, Mr Barr. Stop the clock. Mrs Jones, you have an opportunity to stand after Mr Barr to speak to this motion if you wish. I would ask you to remain silent until such time as you have the floor. Mr Barr.
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