Page 435 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 21 March 2023
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MS DAVIDSON: As I was saying to media earlier today actually, I will provide updates as soon as I am able to. At the moment, while police are investigating the matter, I am not able to talk about the detail. But, as soon as I am able to, I would like to be able to provide updates to the community.
Opposition members interjecting—
MR ACTING SPEAKER: Minister Davidson, can I get a clarification. Are you taking those questions on notice to be answered at a time you are able to answer them?
Ms Stephen-Smith: Mr Acting Speaker, the minister has been very clear that the advice she has received is that she is not able to answer these questions. When you take a question on notice there is then a timeframe in which you have to respond to it. I do not think it would be appropriate for her to take it on notice at this time. She has been clear that she will respond when she can.
MR ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you.
MR COCKS: Minister, are you aware of the industrial partner sending those records to any other external organisation?
MS DAVIDSON: That is a level of detail that would come under the police investigation.
Taxation—GST revenue
MR DAVIS: My question is to the Chief Minister, in his capacity as Treasurer. Chief Minister, on 2 August last year the Canberra Times reported that you said extra money for Canberra from the Commonwealth’s GST would be “banked to rapidly reduce the deficit” and “was not needed to deliver more services”. Last week the Commonwealth Grants Commission said the ACT would receive an extra $223 million in revenue from GST. Can you please inform the Assembly whether this new funding will be spent on government services, or will it also be banked?
MR BARR: Mr Davis’s question pre-empts a budget process and I think is effectively asking me to announce government policy in question time, which I am aware I am not able to do, under the standing orders. However, I would observe that those who have read the Commonwealth Grants Commission report into GST allocation for the coming fiscal year would appreciate that a key element there, in fact, is the adjustment for our increased population that was found by the ABS during the census process.
An important point to stress is that the government budget was already funding services for a population of 460,000, but we were only receiving revenue for a population of 438,000. What has happened is that the revenue has caught up with the expense line, therefore reducing the structural deficit that we were falsely experiencing, frankly, because there was a significant under-count of the territory’s population. As we go into the next budget round, it is certainly welcome to have that gap closed.
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