Labor budget for ACT priorities cost of living

ABC NEWS (Australia)

David Speers reporting from Parliament House: While Budget night introduced no major measures for local projects in the ACT, the Labor government emphasizes that its cost of living assistance will benefit Canberra residents, aiming to alleviate financial pressures amidst rising expenses.

Transcript

00:00Canberra has been the focus of the nation's attention with the budget, but did it deliver

00:06for the people who live here?

00:09Fairly underwhelming.

00:10You can't always get what you want, but you get what you need.

00:14Of the cost of living measures, Labor sees locals will be the greatest beneficiaries

00:18of the student debt changes.

00:20More than 50,000 Canberrans will benefit from the fee relief that they'll get to Hexen

00:25Help.

00:26More than 50,000 people in the ACT will receive the boost to rental assistance.

00:29It is such a small amount, particularly in a market where we have some of the highest

00:35rents in Australia.

00:36There was $27 million for the William Hovell Drive duplication project, and of course the

00:41ACT will benefit from the nationwide boost to public service jobs.

00:45It's in the order of 12,000 jobs that will be supported through investments in this budget.

00:51But all the big ticket items had been announced before the budget.

00:55$250 million to upgrade the AIS, and $50 million for the project design of light rail stage

01:022B to Woden, of which $25 million is available over the next four years.

01:07Outside of that, nothing for the Convention Centre, another stadium feasibility study.

01:15Nothing that really sets us up for the future.

01:17Andrew Barr has failed abysmally in advocating for Canberrans.

01:21Calls from all sides of local politics for the ACT's housing debt to be waived fell on

01:26deaf ears.

01:27It makes no sense to get money from the Commonwealth for Social Housing and pay that back in interest.

01:32It's not off the table, but there's always a lot on the table.

01:36Locals may be left hoping for a better seat at the table next time.

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