Page 1793 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 8 June 2016
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(a) that in the 2016-17 ACT Budget the Government is returning the budget to surplus;
Just like they did in the 2012-13 budget, in the 2013-14 budget, in the 2014-15 budget and in the 15-16 budget. And it just goes on. It just keeps sliding beyond his grasp, and it is so disingenuous to say that. In the estimates in 2018-19 apparently we have a surplus, but we certainly do not have one in the actual 2016-17 budget. It might be contained in the budget documents, but that is the nature of this individual as Treasurer.
Mr Rattenbury raised some points about debates. I guess we will never, never know whether Mr Barr can beat Mr Hanson in a debate on budget issues because Mr Barr never, never goes there. Mr Barr demanded that the opposition not be invited to what had been a regular feature on the business calendar because he did not want to debate us. That is the problem with this Treasurer; he does have a glass jaw.
He showed his glass jaw last year when we got to the first day of estimates and we asked for an update on where tax reform was going. We had this amazing pirouetting by the Chief Minister where initially we were abolishing conveyancing and then we were going to have the lowest rate in conveyancing and then we would eventually get rid of conveyancing, but he could not tell us when; and this continues. If you have got a clear plan, put it on the table. Tell the people the truth. People know their rates have to increase for the conveyancing to go. Residential conveyancing in the coming year, $187 million; commercial conveyancing, $79 million: that can only go one place—that has to go to rates, and when that occurs the rates triple. It is very simple mathematics.
I do not think anybody is fooled at all. You only had to listen to some of the talkback this morning to know that no-one is fooled by a one-year lull. Does the Chief Minister and Treasurer really think the people of the ACT are that stupid that they would not notice that, yes, it is only 4½ per cent this year—double what it probably needs to be—but that in the outyears it then jumps straight back up to seven. Nobody is fooled; he is just slowing down. The foot is off the pedal for a little bit in the hope that people will think, “Oh, our wise and generous Chief Minister and Treasurer has heard us and has saved us from his rate increases” Well, you are not being saved. The pain is delayed a little bit, but the pain that is being experienced is still much larger than it needs to be.
This is not a government with a plan. We see what happens every year—the return to surplus slips and the clarity on how long the rate reform will take remains murky. If you are convinced of your case, Treasurer, then put it on the table. Table the documents that you did to show what will happen to rates over the time—if you have done that. We have had several shots at getting these documents that do not appear to exist. He refuses to give us a timetable. He hides behind, “Oh, well, I might not be in government then.” Well, you could tell us what your aspiration was, if you had a genuine aspiration for this. You know, Chief Minister; you know, Treasurer, that if you put that on the table then rates triple, and that hurts people. That hurts people a lot.
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