Page 2402 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 7 August 1990
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MR KAINE: We will close the budget gap because we have to, and I am not afraid to make the decisions to do it. I will stand the yapping of the Labor Opposition, and that is all it is, because its members know that if they were sitting here today they would be making exactly the same decisions that we are making.
Members interjected.
MR KAINE: It is very easy to sit over there and yap. It sounds like feeding time at the zoo, as it always does. We will make the decisions. We will make the same decisions about the police force and over a transition period we will bring the expenditure on the police force back to a reasonable figure, just as we are doing in education and health.
Seniors Cards
MS MAHER: My question is to the Minister for Finance and Urban Services. Would the Minister say what has been the response to the recent release of the Government's seniors card, and will the concessions be extended into other areas?
MR DUBY: I am pleased to say that the response to the release of the ACT Government's seniors card has been rather overwhelming. More than 4,000 cards have been issued and distributed since 2 July this year when the cards were made available to our senior citizens. The ACT Government decided to introduce these seniors cards which, of course, are very similar to those concessions provided in New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia. The seniors card is available to all Canberra citizens 60 years of age or more. It currently entitles the holder to concessional bus travel on ACTION buses in off-peak hours. The ACT senior residents have responded very enthusiastically to the new seniors card which is being distributed at the ACTION counters at the City and Tuggeranong shop fronts.
In relation to the second part of the question that Ms Maher has asked, about whether any further concessions will be available on the card, I am pleased to say that seniors card holders will in due course be entitled to other concessions and discounts which are being negotiated, not only within the ACT Government area but within the private sector. In addition, I am currently negotiating with other Ministers throughout Australia so that the ACT seniors card may be accepted in other States and provide the concessions on travel services in other States which we currently supply here. On the basis of an equity issue, I am confident that at the end of negotiations we will be able to announce that our card will be able to be used in all other States of Australia.
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