The Canberra Liberals claim that the ACT budget, handed down today, will fail to fix more than a decade of decline under the Labor-Greens government.
Acting Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson said it was “yet another in a long line by this Chief Minister [Andrew Barr] full of deception and spin from a government that has continually over promised and under delivered”.
“Despite countless budget announcements and promises from this government over the last decade, outcomes across health, education, justice, city services, housing and cost of living continue to decline,” Mr Hanson said.
“This budget contains the same tired promises Canberrans have been hearing for over a decade, and it is at the point where it is difficult to believe what they say.
“The ACT continues to have a broken health system including the longest emergency department wait times in the country; schools are run down and bursting at the seams along with a teacher shortage crisis; housing affordability is among the worst in the country with record homelessness; we have less busses on the road than we had in the 1990s; and our suburbs have never looked worse.
- Liberals call for Royal Commission into ACT health system (4 May)
- Liberals give ACT Government a failing school report (21 June 2021)
- Opinion: Flawed Labor / Greens policy caused ACT housing crisis (28 April)
- Canberrans being left behind with broken promises, again (28 February)
- Canberra Liberals: ACT buses breach disability standards (10 January)
- Canberra’s bus routes chopped in 2023 timetable (14 December)
“The Canberra Liberals are also hearing from a lot of people who are concerned about cost-of-living pressures. Whilst this government is slightly increasing some concessions, which is welcomed, the Chief Minister continues to triple our rates and leave behind a large number of aspirational Canberrans who are feeling the pinch.
“These issues are just the tip of the iceberg, and the only thing that is on the rise in the ACT is our debt – which will be $17.4 billion by 2026-27 – and our rates – which are also due to increase.
“Interest payments alone to service the debt will be $614 million a year by 2026-27, and it is disingenuous for the Chief Minister to imply the budget is returning to surplus, something he has failed to do in 12 years as Treasurer.
“This government has been in power for over 20 years, and I see very little in the budget that will turn around what has been over a decade of decline since they formed government with the Greens.”
Mr Hanson said that while the ACT Labor-Greens government “spruiked” investment in areas such as health, education, housing and police, the government had systematically cut money over the last decade.
“This same government has ripped hundreds of millions out of health, education, housing, policing and city services, and put it directly to the tram,” Mr Hanson said.
- Light rail has gone off the rails, Canberra Liberals say (5 December)
- Canberra Liberals will call on government to stop light rail (7 February)
- ACT government vetoes opposition call to stop light rail (8 February)
“If the intent is to spend billions upon billions on a tram, it is impossible for this government to fix what they have broken, and this budget is further proof of that.
“Canberrans should be very concerned about the decline we are seeing in the ACT, and the only increase they will see is in their rates bill along with fees and charges.”
