Page 533 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 19 March 2014
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I do use the word “stimulus” cautiously.
Then she goes on to say:
We hope that it does stimulate some activity.
She says, “Some activity”. She goes on to say:
We are being realistic about our role. That is why in the context of everything I say I call us a small but significant player. We hope that it does stimulate the building and construction industry. That is what it is targeted to do but I am not sitting here saying how many jobs it will create, how much it will deliver, because I think that is very, very hard to do.
Indeed, the government said they would do a review of these charges in the lead-up to the announcement of the stimulus package. I spoke with the Treasurer this morning and asked if I could have a copy of the review. He said, “No, we do not actually have a formal review or a written review. The cabinet did a review.” That is why I have proposed an amendment. I move:
Add new paragraph (5):
“(5) calls on the Government to table all documents produced to inform the Government’s review of commence and complete fees and lease variation charge by cob Thursday 20 March 2014.”.
This amendment to Mr Barr’s amendment to Mr Coe’s motion inserts a fifth clause that calls on the government to table all documents produced to inform the government’s review of commence and complete fees and the lease variation charge by close of business Thursday, 20 March 2014.
I think it is reasonable to ask what analysis they have done. We have seen the winding back of the perfect tax. We have seen the winding back of—what is it—the excellent public policy. I would like to know on what basis it has been wound back. There must have been something provided to cabinet. I thank the Chief Minister, who is still with us, when she referred in question time a number of times to the open government agenda. Let us have a little bit of affirmation of the open government agenda and let us see the documentation, all the papers that were produced, to tell cabinet that they should wind these taxes back, because I think it would make most interesting reading.
It is interesting on two levels. One, I think it would prove the points that the Liberal Party has been saying for a long, long time, that it should be wound back and it should be reviewed properly. Perhaps that is the subject of a future motion, that we instigate a proper review of both of these taxes, possibly by the Auditor-General. Who knows? But it is also about what decisions did they make. The Chief Minister talks about, again in her answer yesterday, why they are doing this. She goes on to say:
So I am not over-promising, Mr Smyth. I know you would like me to just so you can stand there and whinge and hope that I fail at it, that it does not do what we
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