Page 5 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 13 February 2018
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times remain second worst in the country. In our prisons we are spending 50 per cent more per inmate per day than the national average. In homelessness services we are spending more per person than all other states, yet last year a third of people seeking services were turned away. See the trend here?
Over the past five years our rates have increased by more than 40 per cent. Household rates have increased by 12 per cent this year alone. Commercial rates have increased by five per cent this year, while land tax has increased by 18 per cent. On top of this we are constantly seeing increases in vehicle registration, parking fees and fines and other government services.
The government claims that its rates reform is “fairer, simpler and more efficient”. How is it fair that we are charging Canberra families an extra $400 a year in rates when they are already facing cost-of-living pressures? How is it fair that we are charging mums and dads who choose to invest in our property market an extra $1,000 a year in rates when they are already being slugged with stamp duty? How is it fair that we are forcing our students to work multiple jobs just to pay the rent when rate increases are inevitably passed on by landlords? How is it fair that we are charging our local coffee shop $25,000 more in rates a year—the equivalent of two additional part-time jobs—simply for staying in business?
How is it more efficient that the government is raising over 30 per cent more in stamp duty than it was five years ago, yet our local services continue to get worse and worse? How is it more efficient that they are raising nearly $200 million more in rates revenue, when meanwhile our local bus routes are being cancelled? How is it more efficient that government is raising $1 million more in parking revenue than it was five years ago, while it often seems that our roads are not being properly maintained?
We deserve a city in which you and your children can afford to buy your first home without paying through the nose in stamp duty—a city in which you can build a house without being rorted by development fees, and a city in which our students can get a fantastic tertiary education without having to juggle three jobs just to pay the rent.
We deserve a city with an efficient and effective public transport system for all Canberrans. We deserve a city in which we can enjoy our many fantastic bars and restaurants without having to pay for parking at 10 pm on a Friday night. We deserve a city with a thriving economy in its own right that is not solely dependent on the public sector and at the mercy of our federal government—a city in which small business and private enterprise, not government, are the engine room of our economy.
I would like, of course, to acknowledge my predecessor, Steve Doszpot. Steve was a selfless servant not only to the Canberra Liberals but to all three of the electorates that he served during his time here. Steve worked incredibly hard for our community and was often known for taking up the issues that many others saw to be lost causes. Over the last 12 months in particular, Steve demonstrated incredible courage, determination and selflessness. In Steve’s inaugural speech he said:
… the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.
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