Page 1824 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 8 June 2016
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
usual, to stand up and say enough is enough and to actually do something to respond; and my government is doing that. We are signalling our commitment through the safer families package and we are locking in a long-term secure funding source through the levy. We will continue to advocate a whole-of-community response on this issue.
I think the funding mechanism and the comprehensive package of responses have been well received by the Canberra community, and I look forward to the support of this place during the budget process for those measures.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Hinder.
MR HINDER: Treasurer, can you outline the benefits of funding the family violence prevention service through a specific levy?
MR BARR: We have chosen the levy for a number of reasons. It is important because it ensures that a vital community service is neither dependent on annual budget cycles nor at the mercy of those who have an ideological position to arbitrarily reduce the size of government. The levy is on all rateable properties because family violence does not discriminate according to age or socioeconomic status.
A specifically legislated levy hypothecated to funding services and programs that prevent and respond to family violence provides an important difference to other methods of funding services. The levy means the funds are locked in. The funds cannot be diverted without scrutiny by the Assembly, and this provides an important assurance to the community that the services that rely on the funding will continue. Also, by funding the measure in this way, through a levy, the revenue stream will grow as the number of properties and the population of Canberra increases, ensuring that as our city’s population grows the level of funding rises too.
But the levy demonstrates our preparedness to properly fund a comprehensive package to respond to what is one of the most significant and pressing issues. I note that on numerous occasions the Leader of the Opposition has said that whilst he disagrees with me on many things, responding to family violence is not one of them. So I call on the Leader of the Opposition to support this package and to support a long-term, locked in funding source for it.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: Chief Minister, are you considering other levies for other initiatives? Why have you selected domestic violence for a levy over other issues such as mental health and other social justice issues?
MR BARR: I have just outlined why I consider it is important to support this package in this way. There are, of course, other levies in the territory budget: fire and emergency services, for example. In this country we are familiar with the Medicare levy and we all pay a levy to support the national disability insurance scheme. This is not an unusual way to hypothecate funds towards important social outcomes.
Opposition members interjecting—
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video