Today's report paints a clear picture of the challenge that lies ahead for the ACT - we need to address our deteriorating fiscal position, but we cannot undertake Budget repair at the expense of those who can least afford it.
"Revenue is stretched, but government services are vital. It's clear we cannot respond by cutting services the way neoliberal governments of the past did. Instead, we need a pathway that builds rather than demolishes, a pathway that puts people first.
"It's clear the path to fixing Canberra's budget - not for the abject sake of surpluses, but to ensure sustainable, long-term investment in the services Canberrans need and deserve - lies in a combination of increased revenue and genuine savings and efficiencies.
"These efficiencies do not mean rash austerity Budget's or recklessly cutting public service jobs. It means reorienting priorities and making the Government's work more impactful to everyday Canberrans.
"Saul Eslake specifically highlighted health and education, which have accounted for more than half of government spending for years, but where outcomes have fallen behind.
"These are such vital services for our community, and for the level of investment we are making, we simply need better results and improved use of our resources.
"Over the coming months, the Greens will be scrutinising the implications of this interim report and using it as a basis to insist the Committee Inquiry to ask the right questions and deliver recommendations for improving the budget and reshaping our priorities for the future."
