Page 4205 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 23 October 2019

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Is it really too much to ask of the ACT government to actually release how much revenue they expect to bring in in the coming years, and from what sources and what is the basis for those numbers? There is next to no information about the basis of those projections. That is why we have got to keep putting in questions on notice about how many additional dwellings they expect, what the population growth will be et cetera, et cetera. These are the sorts of things that the government should be presenting as a matter of course. Instead there is a culture of secrecy.

The arrogance of this government goes from the very top through to every single MLA because none of them will stand up for greater transparency and scrutiny of this government. I think it is reasonable that the people who are paying the bills, the people who are paying 13 per cent more in revenue this year, should at least be told how much pain they are going to be up for in future years. It is just not sustainable to have compounding growth in revenue of 13 per cent. The tax burden per household and per capita is absolutely out of control.

This government is doing far more to develop the economies of Queanbeyan and New South Wales then it is for the ACT. Andrew Barr may as well be the minister for economic development for New South Wales, because that is what he is. I think we need a government here with some respect for the people that are paying the bills. That is why I think it is fair and it is reasonable that we get the modelling, we get the projections, and the government stops its harsh tax regime.

Question put:

That the motion be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Ayes 9

Noes 12

Miss C Burch

Mr Milligan

Mr Barr

Ms Orr

Mr Coe

Mr Parton

Ms Berry

Mr Pettersson

Mrs Dunne

Ms J Burch

Mr Ramsay

Mr Hanson

Ms Cheyne

Mr Rattenbury

Mrs Jones

Mr Gentleman

Ms Stephen-Smith

Mrs Kikkert

Mr Gupta

Ms Lee

Ms Le Couteur

Question resolved in the negative.

Sitting suspended from 11.55 am to 2.00 pm.

Questions without notice

Bimberi Youth Justice Centre—staffing

MR COE: My question is to the Minister for Children, Youth and Families. Minister, it has been eight weeks since a well-publicised incident at Bimberi. We have been told by multiple sources that since that date the centre has frequently struggled to reach optimal or recommended staffing levels. Minister, over the past eight weeks, how many instances of sub-optimal staffing levels have occurred at Bimberi?

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