Page 1686 - Week 08 - Thursday, 28 September 1989
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people of the ACT who work in that zone and in Fyshwick and surrounding areas.
The important job of removing asbestos at the Royal Canberra Hospital will proceed, at a cost of $1.413m; fire protection at the hospital will also be upgraded, at a cost of $696,000; $348,000 has been allocated for the refurbishment of community centres; and $835,000 has been allocated for the stage 1 development of the adult corrections facility at Belconnen. That, of course, is a very important plank in the Government's corrections policy, and it will take us well into the future in progressive corrections facilities.
MRS NOLAN (5.32): In the budget debate this afternoon I would like to spend the time available to me in discussing three very important areas, and they are business, employment and transport. In speaking about these areas I suggest that the Labor Government, in presenting its budget, is doing more to break business than to make business. It is not creating any substantial employment opportunities and it has failed to include initiatives that are important to transport.
I, like Mr Jensen, welcome some major new initiatives, such as the tourism proposal and an extra $1m. I am glad, Mr Speaker, that Mr Whalan has at last recognised it as a new initiative. During the election campaign he continued to say that it was money that was already available. However, I do have concern that at present the Tourist Bureau has a budget of $1.9m for promotion and $2m for administration, a total budget of $3.9m. I am quite sure that this money could be better spent, and more money spent on promotion and less on administration. I am also sure that until the Tourist Bureau becomes a commission, free from public service constraints, this situation will be difficult to reverse.
At the same time as introducing some new initiatives, the Government has created a set of increased taxes and fees aimed at the business sector. Rather than providing for business development, this will restrict private sector operations. Rather than providing an environment that will inspire business development, businesses must now bear the brunt of a fatal mix of high interest rates, high overheads, high taxes and fees. The Labor Government has demanded that small businesses must pay an extra $45m this financial year in increased taxes and fees. This figure is over 30 times more than the $1.35m the Government has given in business incentives. When comparing the 1988-89 budget figure to the figures of this budget you get a clear indication of just how businesses will be affected.
Payroll tax collections will be up some 48 per cent; business franchise fees, 30.2 per cent; municipal rates, 18.8 per cent; and stamp duties, 11.3 per cent. But most astoundingly land tax will be up by an enormous amount - 88.3 per cent.
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