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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (19 February) . . Page.. 151 ..

Question put:

That the motion (Ms Horodny's), as amended, be agreed to.

The Assembly voted -

		AYES, 15		NOES, 2

	Mr Berry	Ms McRae	Ms Horodny
	Mrs Carnell	Mr Moore	Ms Tucker
	Mr Corbell	Mr Osborne
	Mr Cornwell	Ms Reilly
	Mr Hird		Mr Stefaniak
	Mr Humphries	Mr Whitecross
	Mr Kaine	Mr Wood
	Mrs Littlewood

MR WHITECROSS (Leader of the Opposition) (5.08): Mr Speaker, I move:

That this Assembly directs the Government to ensure that the Commissioner for Revenue immediately redetermines the unimproved values, as at 1 January 1997, of all parcels of land in the Territory that are rateable as required under subsections 8(1) and 8(1A) of the Rates and Land Tax Act 1926 so that these valuations are able to be used to calculate rates and land tax for l July 1997.

The motion I have moved today really ought not to be necessary. It is a motion calling on the Government to comply with its own legislation. It is calling on the Government to comply with the clearly expressed wishes of the Assembly in June last year. This motion is necessary only because of the arrogance of this Government and the insistence of this Chief Minister and Treasurer on getting her own way and ignoring anyone who disagrees with her.

Let us go back over the history of this matter. The current Liberal Government was elected on a promise that it would cap rates to the CPI for one year only while a review of the rates system was undertaken to ensure that rates were levied fairly. It was a rates system that was designed for one year only, an interim measure. In my view, it was a very unwise approach; nevertheless, it was consistent with an election promise. In June last year, the Government attempted to persuade the Assembly to cap rates for another two years - for the remaining two years of their Government - and to continue to use 1994 valuations. This was in direct contravention of their election promise and was yet

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