Page 1332 - Week 05 - Thursday, 31 May 2007
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and real wages growth of almost 20 per cent in the last 11 years as against 1.4 per cent. Yes, that is right: wages growth was a measly 1.4 per cent under 13 years of Labor.
What do we see now? We have seen from this government the wholesale abandonment of its efforts of the first three years when we had a white paper, a social plan, a spatial plan and a Canberra plan. But, because of Ted envy—anything that Ted did has got to go—the white paper has gone. Because of Simon envy the spatial plan has gone. Because the Chief Minister does not understand social issues the social plan has gone. And what does this government do? It resorts to breaking promises. Yes, this is the Chief Minister who said his would be a low-taxing government—oddly enough in what we refer to, Mr Corbell, as his “drover’s dog” speech. Yes, it encompassed everything. It was to be the panacea. And what did the Chief Minister say? He said he would reduce taxes.
It is really interesting when you look at the six years of the Stanhope government because we have had the fire and emergency services tax, the land use permit, the false alarm fee, ACT WorkCover fees, extra water fees, the city heart tax and then pay parking in Belconnen and Tuggeranong. It is now applying the wage price index rather than the consumer price index to general rates and other admin fees and charges. What the list does not include are all the failed tax measures that were dumped over the years, including things like the bushfire levy. This government was going to levy people to pay for its mistakes in allowing the city to burn. This is the whole approach of this government: “We’re in trouble, we’ll just raise taxes.”
But over that same time this government has received record funding through the GST. The entire country has received $2.4 billion above what it would have collected through the old tax system—$2.4 billion, and this government has squandered it. Where is the economic growth? Where is the economic development? Where is the money put aside? Where are the new industries? Where is the expanded tax base? They do not exist—and they do not exist because Jon Stanhope does not understand, and that is why it would be fair to say that his tax policy, his business policy, his economic policy and his general policies are encompassed in that wonderful song about the dead cat in the middle of the road, stinking to high heaven.
Let us look at just one portfolio, the ministry for cuts. This government got extra money, more money than it ever expected—$900 million above what it estimated—and what did it do? It cut. What did it cut? It cut education to the tune of 23 schools. It cut tourism. Andrew Scissorhands, the minister for cut at work, cut education by 23 schools. The government then slugged tourism, which makes it money. The government has a report from Access Economics that says that for every dollar the government spends in tourism there is a return. For those on the other side who do not understand the word “return”, it means money you get back for your investment. So if you spend $1 in tourism you get about $5 or $6 back. That is what the Access Economics report said. But, no, Andrew Scissorhands, the minister for tourism, cut tourism to the tune of $4.5 million. Then he cut sporting organisations by $400,000, then he cut the maintenance and recovery of ovals by $500,000 to try and save the existing ovals, then he cut the ACT Academy of Sport by about 100 athletes.
By the way, minister, I am still waiting for an answer to the FOI request, which I should have had months ago, with details of when those decisions were made. I have
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