Elizabeth Lee MLA is leader of the Canberra Liberals.

On the 19th of October, Canberrans will have the opportunity to make a decision about our future.

They will have the choice between:

• a tired, stale, arrogant Labor-Greens government that has stopped governing for all Canberrans, and
• a Canberra Liberals government I lead that will deliver a fresh opportunity for Canberra.

Two days ago, we saw Andrew Barr deliver his 13th budget. An incredible privilege not afforded anyone else in the history of self-government.

And having had this privilege, you would expect the Treasurer to be able to build on the years of experience and decisions to deliver a budget that would deliver for Canberrans.

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, we saw the exact opposite.

We saw another budget full of broken promises wrapped up as new announcements, and we saw – behind the spin – more pain. More pain for households. More pain for businesses. And more pain for future generations who will have to foot the interest bill for yet another of Barr’s Bogus Budgets, from the Tricky Treasurer himself.

Cost of living

Canberrans are doing it tough, and they have been forgotten by this Labor and the Greens government.

Only this government would say it was providing “cost of living relief” when any measure will be more than eaten up by increases across the board, on:

• rates and public transport fares,
• electricity and water charges,
• on top of rising costs on fuel, food, housing, healthcare, and childcare.

For too many Canberrans, this budget was a missed opportunity to deliver real relief.

Unlike this out of touch Labor-Greens government, the Canberra Liberals have listened to the thousands of struggling Canberrans and committed to a $65 million cost of living relief package to deliver real and tangible measures to reduce pressure on household budgets. For all Canberrans.

Housing

The Canberra Liberals have long advocated for genuine choice when it comes to housing options. There is a place for mid-density options like townhouses. There is a place for high-rise apartments. There is a place for detached houses.

Canberrans deserve genuine choice to be able to live in a home that suits their needs and wants.

Labor and the Greens’ unrealistic infill agenda just got much worse for Canberrans seeking that choice. With the announcement last week that almost 90 per cent of new dwellings will be multi-unit housing, the message is clear:

Under a Labor-Greens government, Canberrans can give up on their dream of owning their own home if a detached house is what they need and want.

Under a Labor-Greens government, housing will become even more unaffordable if a detached house is what they need and want.

Unlike the Labor-Greens government, the Canberra Liberals will never give up on Canberrans who dream of owning their own home.

Our housing policy will focus on unlocking more houses for Canberrans, by:

• Releasing more land for detached housing;
• Building a planning system that works to incentivise rather than inhibit building more homes;
• Delivering a progressive tax setting that supports growth; and
• Investing in the construction skills sector, long neglected by this out-of-touch government.

Economy / Debt & Deficit

In 10 out of 13 budgets that Mr Barr has handed down, he promised a return to surplus. And in zero out of 13 budgets that Mr Barr has handed down, he has actually delivered a surplus.

And every year, we hear why he hasn’t been able to do it. Mr Fluffy, the federal Coalition, Covid, the federal Coalition, interest rate rises, the federal Coalition, less GST because of inaccurate ABS data, the federal Coalition.

This is a Treasurer who claims to be a responsible economic manager, but not once has he taken any responsibility for his own fiscal and ministerial mismanagement.

Looking closer at this budget, some of the numbers that Mr Barr doesn’t talk about are these:

• $19.4 billion – that’s the total borrowings in the forward estimates.
• $855 million – that’s the annual interest repayment bill for the almost $20 billion in total borrowings.
• $1.08 billion – that’s the deficit for this year alone.
• 9 per cent – that’s the increase that unit owners in Forde will be slugged with on their rates bill.

In stark contrast, Mr Barr who entered this Assembly on a countback in 2006 said in his inaugural speech that he would advocate for, and I quote, “modern Labor values of responsible economic management” and that, again I quote: “Good governments manage the economy responsibly, and that good management leads to benefits for all the community. It is what underpins the delivery of the services that Canberrans want and need.” End quote.

How far Mr Barr’s values have fallen. How low is his ambition for Canberra these days?

The Canberra Liberals have long called out the disastrous financial position Mr Barr has driven us to that will leave our children and their children paying the price. We make no apology for that.

The fact is, the goal of any Treasurer of any party of any jurisdiction should be to run a balanced budget over the business cycle. Which means – as Mr Barr himself said when he first entered this place – being a good government that manages the economy responsibly – so that the whole community can benefit.

Health

Every Canberran deserves access to world-class health care. And there was a time when we could boast about having one of the best health systems in the country.

But over a decade of neglect; over a decade of cuts in real terms; over a decade of not prioritising health is having devastating consequences for our community.

And despite spruiking about health being the biggest budget expenditure, it is clear that this Labor-Greens government has no plan to improve the outcomes for Canberra’s health system.

And many of the things in this budget – if they’re not re-hashed re-announcements of broken promises of the past, they’re a sobering admission that this government has let down thousands of Canberrans by failing to properly invest in our health system.

A Canberra Liberals government will prioritise health outcomes because Canberrans deserve no less. We will respect and work with our GPs who are the bedrock of our primary health care system by abolishing this Treasurer’s shameful GP tax because we want to make doctors visits more affordable, not more expensive.

We will protect our most vulnerable by delivering an ACT-wide roll out of the RSV immunisation for newborns and at-risk babies.

We will support Canberrans to realise their dream of starting a family with rebates for IVF and assistive reproductive technology.

We will fix the workplace culture that has defined the legacy of this Labor-Greens’ failed administration of the health system.

We will respect and work with our health professionals to make our health system the best in the country.

Education

This Labor-Greens government has failed a whole generation of Canberra students by ignoring – for years and years – the overwhelming evidence; evidence that unequivocally confirmed that the direction of this government’s so-called Future of Education Strategy was failing our students on the basics of reading, writing and maths.

Well, we finally got the independent review into literacy and numeracy that the Canberra Liberals had been calling for and I thank the independent panel on their work in making eight solid recommendations to improve literacy and numeracy for our children.

Last week, the Education Minister made great fanfare of a $24.9 million commitment over the next four years to roll out these recommendations, which has been criticised by teachers, experts and the community for not being anywhere near enough.

And as bad as that was, even a first look at the budget confirmed that it’s only $1.7 million in new spending. So what will the Minister be cutting from education – to the tune of more than $23 million – and what is she not telling Canberrans?

The Canberra Liberals have been raising concerns about our children’s literacy and numeracy results for years, including calling for Year 1 phonics checks which has only now been announced for next year. How many Canberra Year 1 students missed out whilst Labor and the Greens experimented on our children with teaching methods they were told time and time again weren’t working?

Early this term, the Canberra Liberals released our strategy to bring out the best in every child. We will support our hardworking teachers to use the best evidence-based methods to deliver the very best education. We will also focus on making sure that our learning spaces are fit for purpose and take strong action against violence and anti-social behaviour in our schools.

A solid foundation of education is crucial to making sure that every Canberra student has the opportunity to fulfil their potential and under a government I lead, they will get exactly that.

Local Business

Many local businesses have told me that they do not feel valued or respected by this Labor-Greens government. The unwillingness to make an effort to understand business has caused enormous frustration for local business owners. Add to this the repetitive and unnecessary burdensome red tape, the sky rocketing fees, charges and taxes, the lack of a coherent plan to attract the right skills to our city, and the difficulty engaging with government – and many business owners are wondering how much longer they can stick around.

A Canberra Liberals government I lead will start with “yes” unless there is a genuine reason to say no. We will always value, respect, and back local business. Because we know that local business owners are the driving force behind the economic engine room of Canberra. We will open the doors for genuine engagement to work in partnership so that our local business owners can do what they do best: grow our economy, employ and train our people, and give back to our community.

Maintenance of our suburbs

Canberrans love the best our bush capital has to offer and we take a lot of pride in where we live, work and play. Our suburbs have been neglected for too long.

Over this term alone, we know that the area that city services resurfaced fell to almost half, and the latest announcement only a few weeks ago of $5.8 million for path maintenance is nothing more than an election year promise to look like they’re boosting funding but really it’s just catch up on what they cut throughout the term.

A Canberra Liberals government will reinvest Canberrans’ hard earned taxpayer monies back into our suburbs with our Putting Your Suburb First policy which will commit $100 million for local projects, for local neighbourhoods, chosen by the local community. We will respect Canberrans’ hard earned ratepayer money to deliver the core local government services that they expect and deserve.

Transport

Our public transport system should serve the needs of Canberrans to get them where they want to go, when they want to get there.

Labor did a political deal with the Greens to build a tram and have neglected every other aspect of public transport. There is no funding in this budget in the forward estimates including even in the 2027-28 year despite promising – as recently as yesterday – that construction for Stage 2B would commence in 2028. The reality is, Canberrans are being asked to sign a blank cheque for a tram that does not even have a final route or even a basic business case.

In stark contrast, the Canberra Liberals’ people-focused transport policy will be faster and more reliable. It will be cheaper, greener, and delivered much sooner. And it will cost a fraction of the Labor-Greens tram plan. We will deliver a fully integrated public transport system to get all Canberrans moving, all over our city.

Rates

In 2012 when Mr Barr embarked on his tax agenda to increase rates, he promised to abolish stamp duty, and he promised that it would be “revenue neutral” because it wasn’t about increasing the overall money that government collects.

Tell that to Peter in Fadden whose rates have gone up by 125 per cent. Tell that to Craig in Palmerston whose rates have gone up by 139 per cent. Tell that to Sarah in Yarralumla whose rates have gone up by 197 per cent.

Canberrans pay their rates in good faith because they know that we all need to contribute to the essential services that government provides. But Canberrans also expect that their hard-earned rates money will be respected, valued, and used for the benefit of the community.

Even based on the government’s own figures, Canberrans have been slugged with increases in their rates of between 6 to 8 per cent per year in the last decade.

Canberrans deserve better. And Canberrans will get better from a government I lead. I make this commitment: Canberrans will always pay lower rates under a Canberra Liberals government.

Today, I am proud to announce that a Canberra Liberals government I lead will deliver a fairer, more transparent rates system for Canberrans. Under our policy, Canberra rate payers will be almost $2,000 better off.

Under our policy, Canberrans will have certainty about the rates they pay with a guaranteed cap on rate increases fixed at 2.2 per cent, which is based on a 10-year average of the wage price index. This means that no Canberra household will pay more than a 2.2 per cent increase on their rates bill in the first term of a Canberra Liberals government. This is in stark contrast to the 6 to 8 per cent increases that Labor and the Greens gouged Canberrans with over the past decade.

Under our policy, Canberrans will have transparency about how their rates are calculated. We will establish an independent valuer general separate to and outside of the ACT Revenue Office. This means that every Canberran can see exactly how the unimproved value of their land is assessed and how it impacts on the calculation of their rates. This is in stark contrast to the opaque way in which Labor and the Greens have calculated rates. A fairer, more transparent rates system that will put more money back in the pockets of Canberrans.

That’s what a Canberra Liberals government I lead will deliver for Canberrans. A fresh opportunity. In less than four months, Canberrans have the opportunity to make a decision about our future. The choice is stark and the choice is clear.

We see across the chamber a tired, stale, arrogant Labor-Greens government that has delivered a litany of broken promises, budget blow outs, and complete disdain for Canberrans. Canberrans have the opportunity for a refresh of their government.

A Canberra Liberals government I lead will deliver:

• real and tangible measures to relieve the cost of living burden
• a genuine choice when it comes to housing options
• responsible management and use of taxpayer money
• a world-class health system that will prioritise primary healthcare that will be accessible and affordable
• a nation-leading education system that will bring out the best in every child
• support for our frontline workers who work hard to keep Canberrans safe and healthy
• a default starting position of “yes” for local business so they can do what they do best
• a plan to bring more world-class events to our city
• practical measures to protect our environment and reduce our emissions
• more of our hard-earned rates invested back into our suburbs
• a people-focused public transport system that will get Canberrans where they want to go, when they want to get there
• a fairer, more transparent rates system that will put more money back in the pockets of Canberrans during this cost-of-living crisis.

That is what Canberrans can expect from a Canberra Liberals government I lead. A government that will be open and transparent. A government that will respect and be responsible with how we spend Canberra taxpayers’ money. A government that will always put our community first.

Several months ago, my daughter Mia asked Andrew Barr, “why did you kill all the rabbits on Capitol Hill?” and to give Mr Barr credit, he was very gracious and warm in responding to her insistence that he shouldn’t have gotten rid of the rabbits. A few weeks later, when Mia saw a rabbit back on Capitol Hill, she said, “Maybe Andrew Barr listened to me.”

Now I tell this story because my initial reaction was to say, “he doesn’t listen to anyone,” but I paused, and later, it got me thinking that I am sure there was a time when Mr Barr did listen to the community. Many who now feel they are not listened to. And so, every time I think about Mia’s innocent and hopeful statement, it will be a stark reminder to me about how there are Canberrans out there that are still hopeful; still hopeful that we – who are privileged to make decisions for and on behalf of Canberrans – will listen and serve our community.

And it will be a stark reminder to me that as its foundation, that’s what a Canberra Liberals government I lead will always start with; and come back to. Listening to and serving our community. To close, I say to all Canberrans – this October, do not miss the chance to vote for a fresh opportunity for Canberra.

We are all privileged to live in the best city in the best country in the world where we all have the right to vote under a free and democratic system. But with that right comes responsibility.

 Your vote is valuable. Do not waste it on those who no longer value you. Do not miss this opportunity. You deserve a government that is accessible, transparent, and accountable. You deserve a government that will serve you and put you at the centre of government. My commitment to you is that a Canberra Liberals government I lead will do just that.

On the 19th of October, I ask for your vote so that I can deliver on this commitment to you.