Mr ELFERINK - 2009-05-05
You have just delivered a speech in which you state: ‘The government will update fee and charge levels and introduce an indexation mechanism’. Which fees and charges are you going to update, and by how much, before you introduce your indexation mechanism?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. Fees and charges across the Territory have not really been increasing in real terms for years now. All the small fees and charges that are set across all areas of government have not been up dated for years and they have fallen behind the real cost of service delivery; the real cost to government of that service delivery.
Officials will look at what is a real term increase for those fees and charges, and they will also index them to ensure that they are going forward and keeping pace with real costs. We have clearly flagged that we will be doing the same for penalty units.
This is nothing new. This is nothing that any other jurisdiction is not doing all the time. We will not be going as far as Queensland; they looked at a 30% hike in fees and charges. We will not be going any where near that. We will be making adjustments to fees and charges to bring them in line with where they should be in real terms today, and ensure they are indexed for the future.
Mr Elferink: Which ones and how much?
Ms LAWRIE: … If you use the services you pay for the services …
Mr Mills: Why do you not answer the question?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms LAWRIE: … to businesses, in an environment where we have been saving businesses and households hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes cumulatively since Labor came to government and started slashing taxes. There are fees and charges increases, but they are modest and they will be indexed going forward.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It goes to relevance. The question was quite simply: which ones and how much?
Madam SPEAKER: I believe the Treasurer has already completed her answer. Is that correct, Treasurer?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, Madam Speaker.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. Fees and charges across the Territory have not really been increasing in real terms for years now. All the small fees and charges that are set across all areas of government have not been up dated for years and they have fallen behind the real cost of service delivery; the real cost to government of that service delivery.
Officials will look at what is a real term increase for those fees and charges, and they will also index them to ensure that they are going forward and keeping pace with real costs. We have clearly flagged that we will be doing the same for penalty units.
This is nothing new. This is nothing that any other jurisdiction is not doing all the time. We will not be going as far as Queensland; they looked at a 30% hike in fees and charges. We will not be going any where near that. We will be making adjustments to fees and charges to bring them in line with where they should be in real terms today, and ensure they are indexed for the future.
Mr Elferink: Which ones and how much?
Ms LAWRIE: … If you use the services you pay for the services …
Mr Mills: Why do you not answer the question?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order!
Ms LAWRIE: … to businesses, in an environment where we have been saving businesses and households hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes cumulatively since Labor came to government and started slashing taxes. There are fees and charges increases, but they are modest and they will be indexed going forward.
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! It goes to relevance. The question was quite simply: which ones and how much?
Madam SPEAKER: I believe the Treasurer has already completed her answer. Is that correct, Treasurer?
Ms LAWRIE: Yes, Madam Speaker.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016