Page 3355 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 21 August 2018

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video


A reduced police presence and neglected public places contribute to feelings of being unsafe. One of the examples I used during the estimates period was the CIT car park in Tuggeranong, where it took nearly a year for adequate lighting to be installed. When you join that up with the reports we have seen about sexual assaults at university and other tertiary institutions, it is not safe to have women, young women, or anyone in our community going out to their car late at night in pitch darkness. Minister Berry needs to answer why she is happy with these low targets and not deflect to other issues, as she did in the estimates process, such as the Geocon sexualised invitation.

A couple of recommendations came out of the estimates committee, including the best methodology for the survey on national women’s safety. The government agreed with that one. There was also one about the Minister for Women and the Chief Police Officer working together to identify ways to make women safer and feel safer. Again, the government has agreed to that recommendation.

I and, I am sure, Mrs Jones are looking forward to seeing what comes next and what is going to be done. I think a lot of it comes down to basic local services. Areas with graffiti can make people feel less safe. Areas with poor lighting can make people feel less safe. If we focus on those basic local services, that is one very concrete way that can help women and everyone else feel safer in their own communities.

Proposed expenditure agreed to.

Superannuation Provision Account—Part 1.9

At approximately 6.00 pm, in accordance with standing order 34, the debate was interrupted. The motion for the adjournment of the Assembly having been put and negatived, the debate was resumed.

MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism and Major Events) (5.58): The superannuation provision account recognises and accounts for the defined benefit employer superannuation liabilities of the territory and the financial investment assets for funding these liabilities. The liabilities include past and current ACT public service employees who are members of the Australian government’s commonwealth superannuation scheme and the public sector superannuation scheme.

The government maintains the financial objective of fully funding the territory’s defined benefit superannuation liabilities by 2030. While there has been an increase in the superannuation liability valuation estimates, following a reduction in the long-term average discount rate assumption from six per cent to five per cent, this funding objective remains achievable and we are on track to meet it. The annual budget appropriation to the superannuation provision account is used to extinguish the territory’s employer share of employee superannuation benefits.

The long-term investment return objective for the superannuation provision account is the consumer price index plus 4.75 per cent per annum. Incorporating the estimated


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video