Page 4723 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 20 October 2010
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MS GALLAGHER: I am not certain what report Mr Doszpot is alluding to. However, I am not going to stand here whilst we are undergoing a tax review and rule anything in or out.
Mr Seselja interjecting—
MS GALLAGHER: The tax review panel has been given a fairly wide scope by me to have a good, hard look at all of our own-source revenue and provide information to government about the right way forward. Whether there are reforms included in that, whether there are new ideas and whether there are changes to existing revenue—that is the work of the taxation review panel.
I just do not think it is sensible, despite how easy it is when you do not rule something out, to see a media release issued saying that this is on the cards, and I can see the opportunities presented to you. But I am not going to stand here and rule anything in or out. It would not be the right thing to do; it would not be the mature thing to do. Unlike those opposite—who want to look for a political headline rather than actually look at the serious issues confronting this city, including how we afford to provide the services to this city into the future as our community grows and as our demands increase—I do not think it is the right thing for the government to do.
We do not have any plans to introduce a congestion tax, if that assists with the answer, but I will not rule anything in or out and I will await with eagerness the ACT taxation review panel’s report that will be provided to government in August 2011.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Doszpot?
MR DOSZPOT: Has Treasury modelled the introduction of a congestion tax? If so, how much revenue would be raised by a congestion tax?
MS GALLAGHER: Not to my knowledge at all, Mr Doszpot.
MR SMYTH: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Treasurer, what options for a congestion tax are under active consideration by the government?
MS GALLAGHER: None.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, a supplementary question?
MR SMYTH: Treasurer, would a congestion tax be an ACT government incompetence tax because of the mistakes the Stanhope-Gallagher government has made with the transport plan?
MS GALLAGHER: There is obviously an inability to rephrase the question based on answers given by ministers. There is no plan for a congestion tax. We have, to my knowledge, not modelled one; we have not looked at this issue at all.
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