Page 4060 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 26 November 2014
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So there you go. That is just part (vii). You can comprehensively rebut the notion that they are supporting the industry just on those few facts.
Let us look at what the IPA said about tax burdens, given the tax referral—the impact of the state and territory government taxes last year. The ACT had the highest tax liability of all jurisdictions, about eight per cent of the state average; the highest percentage of corporate tax income liability in the country, at 19.5 per cent; and the second highest stamp duties, at $17,000. When looking at general business tax liabilities based on business scales, the ACT had the highest tax liability for the smallest reference business scale, 10 per cent of the normal size, at $8,959. The next highest in this category was Tasmania, at $5,142. Our taxes were $3,817 more. The average nationally was $4,623; we were $4,336 more. No wonder our business survival rates are now the lowest in the country. These are not the signs of a government that is supporting business and the economy.
You only need to look at the latest report from CommSec, which had us as the worst performing economy in the country. In relation to the retail numbers alone—retail is the eyes of your economy—ACT retail experienced the second largest trade slump in Australia over August, and sales continue to fall. In six of the eight past months, the ABS reported negative seasonally adjusted retail figures for the ACT. By comparison, there had been only one decrease in the rate nationally.
This is a problem for this government. The government is quite happy to continue to blame the current federal government. I am always amused by Robert Macklin’s comments in the CityNews. In his article on 3 April this year, he said:
ANDREW Barr’s sudden discovery that “recession” was looming was equally unimpressive. Bleating is not an option, Andrew. Did you really not see the Abbott/Hockey steamroller coming down the track?
He did, because he was talking about it from 2010, but, like so much in this government, it is just talk; they did nothing real or meaningful to change the course. Indeed, when they had the opportunity to go to their federal colleagues and say, “Don’t do this; stop it,” they were silent. They were mute. We heard nothing from them.
Ms Porter goes on to talk about the government’s focus on four key areas of investment. You can say you have got the biggest budget in the country or the biggest budget in the history of the ACT for infrastructure, but it is about delivery—and it is about delivery on time, on budget and on scope. There are pitifully few examples in the last 13 years where this government has been able to deliver on time, on scope and on budget.
The new fire station at Charnwood is one example, but the best comparator is when we look at the work that has been done at the airport. When the Labor minister of the day was touting that he could build roads past the airport on time and on budget, the only way they could actually make it occur was to give it to the private sector—actually give it to the airport to manage the project. They did that. It was a great project—on time, on budget, on scope.
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