Page 231 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 15 February 2012
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Do you not think that the young family in Tuggeranong that has probably had to pay maybe $15,000 in tax, in stamp duty, when they bought their first home, to the ACT government, and have paid their rates, which have gone up by maybe 100 per cent in some cases—in some cases about 130 per cent; so they are paying hundreds of dollars extra a year in rates—deserve to have got some of these services by now? Do you not think they deserve a government that would have sought to deliver these things? Of course they do deserve that. Whether they are in Tuggeranong or Belconnen or Weston Creek or anywhere else in Canberra, they deserve better than what they have got. They deserve a government that focuses on the basics, on delivering these services. This is a government that is now seeking a smoke and mirrors trick in an election year, and it is not credible, and it will not be believed.
We also should not see a situation where you continue to pile taxes on first home buyers, where you continue to pile taxes on people in the rental market. This government continue to make it harder for first home buyers. They seem to have no shame in the way that they place burden upon burden upon burden on Canberra families.
So no, Ms Porter, we will not be supporting your motion, because it is a demonstration of your disdain for home buyers and renters in Canberra. You are backing this deception by the Labor Party where they are now going to claim that they are committed to local services. We do not believe you, Ms Porter. We do not believe this government. And I think Andrew Barr has let the cat out of the bag.
Mr Smyth: He doesn’t believe the Chief Minister.
MR SESELJA: He does not believe the Chief Minister, and nor do we, and we will not support the motion.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation) (5.20): I thank Ms Porter for moving the motion this afternoon; it does indeed deal with some very important matters for the territory and our community.
The motion calls for support for a charge that is an integral part of the territory’s land tenure system. In fact, it supports a very fundamental principle of that system—that any windfall gains from the granting of development rights belong to the community. It is a charge that is economically efficient, a fact well recognised by eminent economists. Perhaps most importantly, though, it is a charge that is fair. The administrative arrangements for the charge are fair and efficient, particularly after the recent reform that codified the system.
The motion from Ms Porter also calls for support of the application of the charge towards an urban improvement program—a 16 per cent boost in funding for urban improvements across the city. This is to be a program of investment that will support some critical policy objectives, namely increasing the capacity of urban infrastructure, supporting further densification within the existing urban footprint and improving urban amenity. These are all very worthy policy objectives.
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