Page 1525 - Week 05 - Thursday, 11 April 2013
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
of the ACT land rent scheme, which the government has graciously agreed to. I am delighted at that. The committee recommended that the Assembly pass the approp bill and the government has said it will support that recommendation. So well done, chair of the public accounts committee, on bringing the government to account.
This appropriation bill is a total variation of $231 million. It is in three areas: $113 million comes from the federal government for ACT local hospital networks, there is some money for the Commerce and Works Directorate—$113 million of cash will be converted into land—and there is about $4½ million for the restructure fund, which will look at strategic asset management planning, accelerated land development, a whole-of-government gateway, a seamless national economy and some project advice. This is the appropriate way to get these extra funds to the government, not through the Treasurer’s advance but appropriation bills such as this.
The Assembly referred the bill to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. Through that process nothing controversial was identified. The committee’s two recommendations, as I have said, have been agreed to. The opposition will be supporting the bill.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (10.40): The Greens will also be supporting the appropriation. I would like to thank the public accounts committee for their report, which I think summarises and analyses the issues raised by the additional appropriation very well. The appropriation bill is, of course, necessary to pass on commonwealth health grants. I think we are all in furious agreement that that is a good thing. In relation to the land rent scheme, the Greens’ views on this scheme are very clear. We believe that it has an important role to play in the provision of affordable housing in the ACT.
That said, I think it is positive that the government has agreed to table the update as requested by the public accounts committee. With those brief comments, I will be supporting the bill today.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
Public Accounts—Standing Committee
Report 1—government response
Debate resumed.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.
Sitting suspended from 10.42 to 2.30 pm.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video