Page 1853 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 22 August 2007
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dam at the Cotter really was a new perspective for me. So there is much to be learnt from these particular insights from experts that are consulted from time to time.
I say again, Mr Speaker—and I think it is relevant—that it is ironic that a Liberal Party that governed in the territory for seven years is now suggesting that surpluses are a bad and evil thing. This is not consistent with any sort of modern theory or position but by any government. The Liberal Party in this place would be comfortable with the notion that surpluses are evil and should not be sought after or delivered or that there should be no aspiration. In seven years in government the Liberal Party really only ever had experience with deficits.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Come back to the subject matter of the question.
MR STANHOPE: I think it is relevant to any question around a $200 million turnaround that delivered the territory’s largest ever surplus.
MR SPEAKER: My understanding was that the question was about taxation.
Mrs Burke: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The question was about reviewing the level of taxation on Canberrans.
MR STANHOPE: We will, as we do every year, review the level of taxation. We do it every year as part of the budget process. In no year since we have been in government and I have been Chief Minister have we not reviewed levels of taxation within the ACT.
The answer to the question is yes. The ACT government will again in the next budget context review our taxation regime. We do it every year and we will do it again. Of course we will. One of the reasons we will do it is to ensure that we do not deliver a set of budget bottom lines such as those delivered by the Liberal Party. The Liberal Party in its first year in government delivered a deficit of $344 million.
Opposition members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order! Chief Minister, resume your seat for a minute. There are a few people on that side who are on a warning. That is the threshold. I call the Chief Minister.
MR STANHOPE: One of the reasons we review our taxation regime every year is because we do not want to go back to the dark days of the Liberal government, which in its first budget delivered a deficit of $344 million. In its second budget in 1996-97 it delivered a deficit of $170 million. In its third budget in 1997-98 it delivered a budget with a deficit of $152 million. In its fourth budget in 1998-99 it delivered a budget with a deficit of $161 million. It then delivered three very small AAS surpluses. In its seven years in government the Liberal Party delivered an aggregate deficit of $657 million under the Australian accounting standard. Let me repeat that. In its seven years in government—(Time expired.)
MRS BURKE: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Whilst the commonwealth can explain what they have done with their surplus, Chief Minister,
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