Canberra Liberals Leader Elizabeth Lee has called on Chief Minister Andrew Barr to explain to Canberrans when he delivers his state of the territory address today why his government continues to fail the community on key priority areas.

Ms Lee said that when Mr Barr made his speech 12 months ago, he stated that two of his key priorities were healthcare and housing – both of which, she believes, still stand as major failures under his leadership.

“Canberra continues to have one of the worst performing health systems in the country highlighted by our appalling emergency department and elective surgery wait times, the toxic workplace culture that’s letting down our health professionals, and numerous departments at risk of losing their accreditation,” Ms Lee said.

“All we have seen over the last year is this government lurching from one crisis to another when it comes to our health system, including Andrew Barr’s latest assault on primary care with this application of the GP tax which will make it more expensive for Canberrans to see their doctor.

“Housing does not fare much better, with over 3,000 Canberrans on the public housing wait list and tens of thousands of Canberrans unable to access land for housing because this government is deliberately drip feeding the release of land to reduce affordability.

“We are in a housing crisis in the ACT, and the only policy put forward by Andrew Barr is a watered-down version of the Canberra Liberals’ zoning changes to allow separately titled dual occupancies on RZ1 blocks.

“If both health and housing have been the priority for the Chief Minister over the last year, he has failed dismally, and must explain to Canberrans today how he is addressing these issues as Chief Minister.”

Ms Lee said during the last 12 months, the ACT has also lost its AAA credit rating due to Andrew Barr’s growing debt, and that this Labor-Greens government has wasted hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ money due to mismanagement.

“While wasting hundreds of millions of dollars through failed HR systems, mismanaged procurements that are currently before the integrity commission, a blowout in costs for the delayed Canberra Hospital expansion, and dodgy CIT contracts, Andrew Barr continues to hit Canberrans with additional taxes and charges at a time when many are doing it tough,” Ms Lee said.

“Many Canberrans are questioning why a jurisdiction like the ACT is failing across health, education, housing, community safety, support for small business, and basic suburban maintenance, when they are paying record taxes and levies.

“The state of our territory, our nation’s capital, is nowhere near where it should be, and the Chief Minister must take responsibility for that.”

The next ACT election will be held in one year from today. Ms Lee said the Canberra Liberals will focus on addressing the significant failings of this Labor-Greens government across health, education, housing, community safety, and basic suburban maintenance, whilst supporting all frontline workers and local businesses, building infrastructure projects that bring the most economic benefit to Canberra, and presenting a transport policy that will get people where they want to go, when they want to get there.

Ms Lee called on the Chief Minister to explain to Canberrans:

• If health and housing have been priorities, why is the ACT still failing in both areas?
• how has he allowed the debt to skyrocket in the ACT under his watch?
• why during a cost-of-living crisis, he continues to hit Canberrans doing it tough with more taxes and levies?
• why local suburbs are run down and neglected when rates are increasing each year; and
• why has his government wasted hundreds of millions of dollars of ACT taxpayers’ money?