Page 198 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 15 February 2012

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MR SPEAKER: Mr Doszpot, a supplementary.

MR DOSZPOT: Treasurer, why have you maintained your estimate for revenue from the lease variation tax when you have reduced the estimate for revenue from conveyances?

MR BARR: It is pretty embarrassing to then read the follow-up question when I have just answered both. Because, Mr Speaker, $5.996 million has been received on 72 applications, and a further 94 applications have been determined, totalling $15.5 million. That takes us, as I said in my previous answer, very close to the $22 million estimate for the financial year, hence that remained in the midyear review.

MR SESELJA: Supplementary.

MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Seselja.

MR SESELJA: How much of the estimated revenue received so far this year comes from applications that were made prior to the new tax coming in, and how much is post the new tax coming in?

MR BARR: I will need to take advice on the individual applications but, as I say, I can advise that as of 24 January the Revenue Office has received just $4,000 short of $6 million in relation to applications already paid and that a further 94 have been determined. I will get some information for the Leader of the Opposition in relation to the lodgement dates for those particular applications, but one would presume, given that so many have come in in this financial year, that they were clearly determined after the lease variation charge was put in place.

ACT Ambulance Service—recruitment

MR HARGREAVES: My question is to the Attorney-General in his role as Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Can the minister please advise the Assembly on the progress in implementing the government 2011-12 budget announcement to recruit additional ambulance personnel to meet demand for the ambulance services?

MR CORBELL: I thank Mr Hargreaves for the question. The Labor government is giving priority to investment in and enhancement of our vital ACT ambulance services. In the most recent budget, the government allocated $21.1 million to ACT ambulance services over the next four years. This is additional funding, with $4.669 million allocated for the recruitment of 30 additional staff to front-line ambulance operations and six additional staff to headquarters support functions.

This is the largest ever increase in resources for ambulance services and follows on from previous commitments of $19½ million in recurrent and capital expenditure between 2007 and 2011 to recruit 44 additional staff to areas including front-line operations, communications, non-urgent patient transport, specialist flight operations through Snowy Hydro SouthCare, and general management. It also follows additional


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