[Greens-Media] ACT Budget doesn't deliver

[Manderson, Roland]

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ACT GREENS MLA DEB FOSKEY MEDIA RELEASE
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5 June 07

Budget doesn't deliver

ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey has described this year's Budget as pointing
in the right direction, but disappointing in its lack of commitment.

"If last year was about making hard decisions for the future - which the
Government argued that it was - this budget is disappointing because it
fails to take a long term view" Dr. Foskey said today.

"It is a reactionary budget, not proactive. And while the Government has
made amends for some of last year's unnecessary cuts, and put some money
back into housing and buses, it has not committed enough to preventative
policies that deal with health, climate change, and homelessness."

"A heap of car-parks, new roads and new equipment for our surviving
public schools do not progress our sustainable transport plan or ensure
that our education system addresses the challenges facing our children."

"There are baby steps on climate change in the budget. I hope the long
overdue Climate Change strategy will contain more money for urgently
needed energy and water efficiency measures." 

"I welcome the various water initiatives in the budget, including
rebates for grey water systems and the budgeting for increased water
storage capacity, although the Chief Minister dismissed the drought as
an issue for this year's budget."

"The Commissioner for the Environment, however, is still required to
make do with inadequate funds, yet this is the year he must report on
the state of the environment."

"Funding in health is once again primarily directed to costly, acute
care hospital services.  While necessary, to reduce the pressure on
these costly hospital services we must direct more funding to primary
and community based health care, including early intervention and
prevention."

 "This might appear to be a cautious budget, but if the drought doesn't
break, or if Epicentre costs the Government $60m, this year's surplus
could disappear."
 
"Nonetheless, the revenue forecast looks good. It makes you wonder if
last years social service cuts were a way of distracting the media from
the increase in taxes and rates" Dr Foskey said.



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Roland Manderson   Media Advisor
ACT   Greens    MLA  Deb  Foskey  
Legislative Assembly for the ACT 
ph(02)62050551      m 0412241379
==== www.act.greens.org.au ===== 
  
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